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Blanco White, the guise of guitarist, singer and songwriter Josh Edwards, a Brit whose heart belongs in southern Spain and the Andean mountains, today releases his new single ‘Mano a Mano’, the latest single to be taken from his long-awaited debut album On The Other Side - out on June 5 via Yucatan Records.
Watch the video for 'Mano a Mano': https://youtu.be/f4rSSd7eUPQ
Listen to 'Mano a Mano': yucatan.io/BWalbum
The dreamy ‘Mano a Mano’ is Josh’s first single to be released in the Spanish language and is a true love letter to Latin culture and southern Spain in particular.
Speaking about the single, Josh explains, "’Mano a Mano’ was a song written while I was living on the southern tip of Spain last winter, in a house overlooking Tarifa and the Straits of Gibraltar towards Morocco. I was working on the vocal of the song, trying to find words in English to match the melodies and phrases that were jumping out at me, but it soon became clear that English words seemed to lack the more staccato rhythm that I was looking for. I started trying to use Spanish words instead and instantly found it easier to complete the phrases.
"I’ve always been nervous about singing or writing in Spanish as there’s so much unknown if you don’t have full mastery of a language. It’s not only things like pronunciation, but also all the connotations and hidden meanings of words that you might miss. Perhaps because of that I was liberated from the knowledge that accompanies a native’s understanding of their own language, and I wrote the lyrics for the song quicker than all the other tracks on the album, which are all in English. I’m indebted to José and Marga Zavala, as well as Spanish artist MAVICA for helping me with my pronunciation. MAVICA also features as a vocalist in the song, singing with me in the outro section and with Malena Zavala in the main body of the song. Hearing their voices in the mix was the moment when I knew the song was finished.
The lyrics are visual and descriptive, and the verses try to capture some of the magic you feel part of in that special corner of the world around Tarifa. It’s a very mountainous region that feels both ancient and mysterious. It’s the gateway between the Mediterranean and Atlantic worlds, and is also the western frontier where Europe ends and Africa begins. Only 9 miles of water separate the two. I wanted the song to explore the sense of dream like mystery I often feel when I’m there, as well as a heightened connection with the sun and moon in a place where the light is so spectacular.”
With every release Blanco White has gone up a gear, from the haunting acoustic sound of his first EP in 2016, to the meatier, more expansive recent singles, the first taste of his self-produced debut album On The Other Side out in June. Already Josh is selling out venues across the world he couldn’t have dreamed of when he began Blanco White in 2014. A trio of increasingly- accomplished EPs released between 2016 and now have seen him become a streaming sensation, a staple of thousands of Spotify playlists, now with fans all over the globe.
It was a trip to Latin America as a kid that kick-started his obsession with all things Spanish, music in particular. “When I was 10, my dad quit his job, my mum put hers on hold and they took me and my two younger sisters around Latin America,” recalls Josh, who was raised between west London and the Black Mountains in south Wales. “We missed school and went to Mexico, Costa Rica and Peru. It was a life changing trip and I came home desperate to speak Spanish and Latin America remained this romantic, amazing place in my mind.”
At university Josh threw himself into studying Spanish. He later travelled south to Andalucía and was lucky enough to study with flamenco guitarist Nono Garcia whilst in Cadiz. He later headed to Bolivia, where he immersed himself in Andean music, learning to play charango (a small, 10-stringed, bowl- shaped guitar), first in La Paz, then in Sucre where he found a teacher at a local music school.
Enter Blanco White’s bewitching world and you won’t want to leave. Sensual songs unfurl like spells, time seems to stand still. Close your eyes and you could be dreaming. Magic, you’d swear, was at work.
Following on from a mammoth 50 date US and European tour last Autumn, which saw him play a sold-out show at London’s EartH – Blanco White will be returning to the live stage later in the year. More info/dates to be announced soon once we know when live music can return!
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