Aitana Castaño Díaz

Short version: 10 amazing songs.

Extended version (because this is a promotional sheet): What Rodrigo Cuevas presents to us in his third album, Manual de Belleza, is a melting pot of music, a crossroads of paths that comes after teaching us how to court and taking us to a pilgrimage. And all so that we discover that beauty is not only where you least expect it, but also right in front of your eyes, almost always.

Manual de Belleza is also an album very thoughtfully conceived from its sound and production. Produced by Rodrigo Cuevas himself alongside Eduardo Cabra, the album was recorded between La Casa del Sombrero, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and 5020 Studio in Madrid, mixing prominent vocals, traditional instrumentation, strings, winds, percussion, and a constant layer of programming and synthesizers that runs through the entire album without being overbearing. The mixing was handled by Fab Dupont from New York, adding body and depth to a repertoire as diverse as the one presented here, and the mastering, by Diego Calviño from Buenos Aires, finishes off a work that sounds grand, festive, and meticulously crafted, as befits a manual that takes celebrating very seriously.

But let's use the concept of "10 amazing songs" to break down the fantasy that is this new album, and let's start with what we already know and what has had us all crazy for months.

Raise your hand if you haven't recited the litany "Los porteros de les discoteques, trátente como mucha educación…" at least 827 times since it came out. Well, that's it, Cuevas's "Un mundo feliz" with Massiel made us very happy, and we are all looking forward to the concerts to sing "al altu la lleva": "y toooooodo el mundo es maricón" or "las bicicletas no tienen sillín". Yes or no? With lyrics by Rodrigo himself—who is getting more and more into writing—and music by Eduardo Cabra, that Puerto Rican producer who already knows more about Asturian folklore than many… "Un mundo feliz" opened the way for this happy album, which features other great contributions such as Ana Belén in the pasodoble "Sácame a bailar"—careful, eh… big words—, Mapi Quintana and Grande Amore in "Una muerte ideal," so 80s that you'll want to wear shoulder pads, and Zahara and Martí Perarnau in "Asturcón," electronic to the core. We got to know these three songs thanks to the wonderful short film "Llagares" which, with Rossy de Palma as master of ceremonies, gave us a taste of what was to come a month ago.

But hold on tight, because there are many twists and turns, many collaborations, and a lot of "de tou." What you will find in Manual de Belleza is, for example, Mala Rodríguez reciting "quisiera ser libre/ para volar lejos de aquí," and we will all dream of the same thing thanks to this song. I have nothing more to say: listen to it, dance to it, recite it, as if your life depended on it. It's what you need.

Of what you haven't yet heard from this Manual, what will blow you away is the bolero "Xardineru." How can I make it not obvious that we all needed, like food, for Cuevas to write us a bolero (even though he actually wrote it for a "nocherniegu galán." Phew!). I'll just tell you that if you can hold back your gasp while listening to this song, you are of another race, not mine, not ours.

But since we don't live by boleros alone, although, honestly—and I say this to producer Edu Cabra—: "Edu, amore, we could very well live by boleros, thanks." This album brings us many more things, and you'll say: What? I'll tell you, queen, don't miss out on information.

Manual de Belleza brings romance, with "La hermana cautiva," based on a version preserved in this world by Concepción Rodríguez Suárez, better known as Concha i Clara, from Tresmonte, in Cangas del Narcea, one of those women to whom oral tradition owes everything.

And it also brings "tonada," with a version of "El pañuelín" made famous by José González El Presi, to which Cuevas, along with his inseparable producer, adds synthesizers to show us that beauty is also in those verses that say "en el jardín de la hierbabuena, en el jardín de las azucenas." Marta Torrella and Helena Ros, who together form Tarta Relena, collaborate on this song. A delight, if you ask me.

Because yes, my dear, Manual de Belleza, as you can see, is very much about flowers and love for the land so that it doesn't become merchandise. Do you remember when in La Romería Rodrigo told us in the song "Valse"... "el mar es una horterada, tienen la costa estropeada y hai que desocalitizar"? Well, in "La Playa" he immediately tells us that using the Asturian coast as if it were disposable is not okay, but, oh, that "but," everything is so beautiful when you're with who you want, naked on a northern beach with not many people, and they give you a "Piloñés massage"... Mmmm. What is a Piloñés massage? Oh, girl, try it, you can't be given everything ready-made.

And I'm finishing up, just as the things Rodrigo Cuevas and his wonderful team do end: with a celebration, specifically "La Fiesta," because why beat around the bush? The last track of this manual takes us to all cardinal points because that's what celebrating is all about, isn't it? The southernmost part is provided by the traditional melody of Comares de Málaga and Carlos Fernández. The northernmost part is provided by Xurxo Fernandes and PAN.SEN.FRON. And the desire to give it all, well, that's us.

And of course, behind this entire album, in addition to Rodrigo, Eduardo, and all the musical and technical collaborations, there's a great team that puts effort and love into it. The trick? Always having the house full of ladybugs. What else?