A new recording from Chilean vocalist Claudia Acuña is always cause for celebration, doubly so when it’s as thoughtfully programmed and lovingly performed as Duo. The new album, which follows her outstanding, Latin Grammy-nominated Turning Pages released in 2019, sees Acuña exploring a fascinating song list which ranges from ‘Medianoche’ (featuring the great Kenny Barron), penned by the illustrious songwriting partnership of fellow Chileans Patricio Manns and Horacio Salinas, to a transfixing – and entirely a cappella – version of Chick Corea’s ‘Crystal Silence’. One of more than 300 songs written by the Cuban singer-songwriter and guitarist Margarita Lecuona, there’s a striking interpretation of ‘Eclipse de Luna’, which finds Acuña in the company of bassist Christian McBride, a spectacular take on the Argentinian singer-songwriter, Víctor Heredia’s ‘Razon de Vivir’ with the incredible Colombian pianist Carolina Calvache, plus a deeply touching ‘Manifiesto’ composed by Chilean folk singer, political activist and international icon of resistance, Víctor Jara, featuring violinist Regina Carter.

Detonating an enormous emotional charge, best of all is the impassioned ‘Júrame’, the first international hit for the Mexican composer María Grever, in which Acuña’s beautifully sustained melodic line is enveloped by pianist Fred Hersch’s deliciously rich voicings. The album signs off with a powerful Acuña original sung in both English and Spanish, ‘Yo’, in which she accompanies herself on the bombo lehuero, an Argentinian drum which produces a sound resembling a heartbeat.