Videos: Devendra Banhart, ‘Abre Las Manos’ and ‘Kantori Ongaku’

on
0
Devendra Banhart (Photo by Lauren Dukoff)
Devendra Banhart (Photo by Lauren Dukoff)

“Abre Las Manos,” the new single from Devendra Banhart’s forthcoming album “Ma,” is informed by the tumult in the singer-songwriter’s native Venezuela, where much of his family still lives. “My brother is in Venezuela, my cousins, my aunts and uncles,” the songwriter says. “They are just holding their breath, in gridlock standstill.”

The title translates to “open your hands,” and the track’s warm intimacy fits into the overarching theme of “Ma” (Banhart’s 10th full-length) — a contemplation of motherhood and maternal love. The Houston-born, Venezuela-reared songwriter, who moved to California as a teenager, sings three songs on the album in Spanish and one in Portuguese. “Maybe there is more Spanish writing on ‘Ma’ because of the helplessness I’m feeling, it’s on my mind more than ever,” he says. “I was thinking about the sorrow of having to put a child up for adoption, loving that child but not being with them, for whatever reason. That child is out in the world and you have to love them from afar. And that is exactly how I have felt observing the situation in Venezuela. There’s this helplessness, this place that has been a mother to you, that you’re a mother to as well, and it’s suffering so much. There is nothing you can do but send out love and remain in that sorrowful state.”

Banhart introduced the new album last month with the surrealist video for “Kantori Ongaku,” directed by Juliana and Nicky Giraffe. That Japanese title translates to “country music” and is an homage to experimental pop icon Haruomi Hosono of the Yellow Magic Orchestra. And the visuals for “Abre Las Manos” are a slideshow of amateur photographs from Venezuela.

Banhart worked on “Ma” with longtime collaborator, producer-musician Noah Georgeson. Cate Le Bon sings background on “Now All Gone.” And folk legend Vashti Bunyan duets with Banhart on “Will I See You Tonight.”

“Ma,” the follow-up to 2016’s “Pink Marble,” is out Sept. 13 on Nonesuch Records.

||| Watch: The videos for “Abre Las Manos” and “Kantori Ongaku”

||| Live: Devendra Banhart performs on Day 1 of Ohana Fest (Sept. 27-29) at Doheny State Beach (tickets). He also performs Oct. 24 at the Theatre at Ace Hotel (tickets) and Oct. 26 at the Yost Theater in Santa Ana (tickets).