Yanga by Gabriela Ortiz

Yanga; Dzonot; Seis Piezas a Violeta

Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Gustavo Dudamel
Tambuco. Los Angeles Master Chorale
Alisa Weilerstein cello
Label: Platoon
Gabriela Ortiz’s Yanga is a notable blend of history, myth and nature. The album is vivid, immediate and emotionally charged, drawing listeners into sound worlds that feel as real as any physical place.

It begins with Yanga, a bold and rhythmically charged work commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic to sit alongside Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, which is another celebration of freedom and brotherhood.

Ortiz turns to the story of Gaspar Yanga, an African prince enslaved in 16th-century Mexico who escaped and led a successful rebellion. The music is built on Congolese chants and African percussion, which lends the piece a ritualistic energy. It feels like both a protest and a celebration- raw and alive.

The centrepiece of the album is Dzonot, a cello concerto rooted in Mayan myth and shaped by ecological themes. Its name, meaning ‘abyss’ in Mayan, refers to the cenotes, deep natural sinkholes scattered across the Yucatán Peninsula. Ortiz conjures these underground worlds in sound. The opening movement, ‘Luz vertical’, shimmers with light piercing water.

In El ojo del Jaguar, the cello becomes a predator, agile and alert, while Jade offers something more meditative and El vuelo de Toh captures the arc of a rainforest bird’s flight. The storytelling is richly imaginative.

Alisa Weilerstein gives a superb performance of Dzonot in this world premiere recording, captured live with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel. It’s a fiercely demanding piece, but she makes it feel expressive rather than technical, drawing out the music’s character with clarity and force. Dudamel and the orchestra are equally impressive, navigating Ortiz’s complex rhythms and vivid textures with finesse. The playing adds depth and detail to every movement, whether evoking birdsong, rainfall or the rush of rebellion.

The final work, Seis Piezas a Violeta, pays tribute to Chilean artist and activist Violeta Parra. These short pieces weave folk influences and layered rhythms into something playful, political and personal.

Yanga is another milestone in Ortiz’s career. It follows her album Revolucióndiamantina, which won three GRAMMY Awards, and was also recorded with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel. The recognition was a turning point, firmly establishing her as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary classical music.

Taken as a whole, Yanga is more than just a showcase of Ortiz’s talent. It’s a deeply imaginative response to the world around us and music that invites you in and leaves a lasting mark.

Turn it up loud and leave the world behind you for a while.