Sonetos de Amor Oscuro

Photo by Bryan Karl Lathrop

 
 

These songs are the words of Federico García Lorca from a deep watery grave, recounting a forbidden love amid a civil war.

The Sonnets of Dark love sonically retrace the secret affair of Lorca and Juan Ramírez de Lucas. The strings, sympathetic and jarring at times, are the emotional waves that come from a painful longing for a desire so unwavering for unrequited love. This album is a sonic unearthing of unrequited queer love, palpable yet distant. 

This work was initiated by a collaboration with the artist David Antonio Cruz. His relationship with the Duende and the life and work of Federico García Lorca had a significant impact on my musical life back in 2016. Our collaboration began a very bright and fruitful artistic relationship that led me to continue taking the text from Lorca's sonnets and turning them into an album. Lorca’s poetry is mysterious, cheeky, humorous, and in the end, tragic. 

I connected with Lorca’s feelings of “longing” and his desire to be loved. I think we all can understand his longing and the desire for our authentic selves. 

I want to dedicate this album to David Antonio Cruz and the Duende.

With Love

Daniel de Jesús

Album + EP

Sonetos de Amor Oscuro LP

  1. Soneto gongorino 

  2. El poeta pide su amor 

  3. El amor habla por telefono 

  4. Soneto de la guirnalda de las rosas

  5. Llagas de amor 

  6. El río de recuerdos y muerte

  7. El amor duerme en el pecho del poeta

  8. El poeta pregunta a su amor por la ciudad encantada de Cuenca 

  9. Soneta de la dulce queja 

  10. Noche de amor insomne 

  11. Ay voz secreta del amor oscuro

  12. The Smashing of the Violins 

  13. El poeta dice la verdad 

Oscuro Amor EP (Release October 2022)

  1. Llagas de Amor 

  2. El poeta habla por teléfono con el amor 

  3. El amor duerme en el pecho del poeta

  4. Voz Secreto de Amor Oscuro

  5. Noche del amor insomne

  6. Soneto Gongorino

Credits

Sonetos de Amor Oscuro LP

Text by Federico García Lorca

Music written by Daniel de Jesús

Sound Design, Mixing, and Mastering by Robbie Simmons

The songs were recorded at Colmado Studio in Trenton, NJ, by Josue Lora, and The Doff and Tulip Studio in Philadelphia, PA, by Stephen Lorek. 

Vocals, Cello, Violin, and Viola, performed by Daniel de Jesús

Recitation by Tareke Ortiz