We previously featured Yo when he turned his late grandmother, Carmina Alegría, into a posthumous star with the transcendental and cosmic opus, Vovler al aire, so when we heard that the visionary artist was back with an entire album titled, Carmina Alegría, we were curious to say the least, and couldn’t wait to immerse ourselves in his universe once again.

Drawing us in with astral bells and an intimate guitar performance with a choral vocal synth, Yo opens Carmina Alegría with a track called Desaparecer, which exudes an almost meditative, serene energy akin to being in a heavenly realm. The opus expands with fierce electric guitar and rock drums to immerse in an almost psychedelic ascension.

This ends abruptly to invite us into the title track of the album with a poignant and thought-provoking, existential spoken word delivery from Carmina Alegría as she references her lived experience with wisdom and philosophical depth. She is accompanied by a soft rock guitar soundscape and textured drums. The track holds a cinematic allure, almost like the soundtrack to a film montage. The instrumental interlude is delicate and taps into a high emotional quotient before the panned vocals from the Carmina Alegría further draw us in to her world.

Coágulo de un instante returns to a more psychedelic energy with peaceful detailing, sonic undulations, perfect for a future Avatar film. There is a cosmic consciousness that the track exudes, it feels like we are at one with the universe. The build is evocative and the instrumental crescendos manifest in an energy that feels like a spiritual ascension.

Next up is Volver al aire (return to the air) which we previously covered. It boasts a cerebral and spacey bassline, bright bell tones with dimensionality and an astral synthscape. We appreciate the operatic vocals from Yo‘s late grandmother, as well as his soulful delivery.

Siempre (la mano en el fuego) opens with a bright acoustic guitar, rippling harp riffs and anthemic drums that remind us of Woodkid‘s song, I Love You. The woodwind moments feel like elves in a forest, again tapping into the more cosmic nature of reality. The presence of Carmina Alegría is felt with emotional ad-libs as tribal vocals with a high spiritual quotient build with the track.

This leads us to the poignantly titled, Los muertos siempre son verdad – which translates as “The dead are always true”. The track is acoustic with subtle percussion textures, rising cymbal motifs and a peaceful sentiment. This is also the longest track on the album. Again, the piece feels like an emotive score to a film – perhaps something set with an optimistic vibe in the 90s. We appreciate the ebbs and flows, and subtle moment of silence which truly add to the dynamism of the track.

Decirlo a veces sin palabras is next, and means: “Sometimes saying it without words.” Carmina Alegría is felt strongly on this track, with her words of wisdom and poetic prowess. There is an almost haunting, folk-vibe to the track, but again it feels almost divine, like a message from the stars and angels, especially with the operatic harmonies.

Finally, we experience the outro – Levantando las manos with crooning vocals full of emotion from Yo. This comes with a scenic accompanying music video, which also summarises the purpose of the record. As Yo says, “On June 1st, 2025, my grandmother died, and I entered an obsessive, luminous phase: I was going to make her a record. I myself was hospitalized those days, but that doesn’t matter now. My grandmother always told how, when she was young, she sang so well that ‘the people from the radio wanted to make her a star. They even had her stage name ready: Carmina Alegría. Life had other plans, and my grandmother always kept ‘what could have been’… until today. Because today, Carmina Alegría has her record.”

The post Yo explores legacy, loss, and the cosmos with powerful ode to his grandmother, Carmina Alegría appeared first on KIMU.

Establishing the mood with a cerebral and spacey bassline, Yo opens Vovler al aire (which translates from Spanish as “back on the air” – the notion of being on the airwaves, or more metaphorically being free again) with dimensionality and an astral synthscape.

The opus expands with delicate operatic vocals from Yo‘s late grandmother, Carmina Alegría, before Yo shares his soulful delivery, accompanied by haunting bells, bringing to life a philosophical message with a high emotional quotient. We appreciate the glitch pop nuances that emerge and the way in which the two singers’ vocals intertwine.

Speaking on this intentional music, Yo confesses, “On June 1st, 2025, my grandmother died, and I entered an obsessive, luminous phase: I was going to make her a record. I myself was hospitalized in those days too, but that doesn’t matter now. My grandmother always said that, when she was young, she sang so well that “the people from the radio” wanted to turn her into a star. They even had the stage name ready: Carmina Alegría. Life had other plans, and she was left with “what might have been”… Until today. Because today Carmina Alegría has her own artist profile on music platforms and her homonymous album, with Volver al aire as its marrow: the song from which the whole work breathes and radiates.”

In essence, Volver al aire presents itself as a theatrical dialogue between “Death and the one about to depart.” We deeply connect with the ethereal, new age sound design, fusing neoclassical and ambient pop influences – perfect for a sync deal for a new Pedro Almodóvar film.

We learn that Volver al aire holds a central place in the story of the album and ode to his late grandmother, also called Carmina Alegría – a body of work that turns loss and mourning into sonic beauty – where spirituality connects with the raw emotion of being human.

Naturally, we are in awe of the composition, and have added the sublime and cinematic masterpiece to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS and TRIPPY playlists, whilst we continue to stream the wider Carmina Alegría project and Yo‘s music, including Desaparecer, and Levantado las manos.

The post Yo turns his late grandmother, Carmina Alegría, into a posthumous star with transcendental and cosmic new opus, Vovler al aire appeared first on KIMU.