One guitar, eight tracks, four continents – what do they have in common, many will think. I think Thomas Rodriguez, a guitarist from Brooklyn, does not think about this. Because when he takes the guitar in his hands, the music smoothly moves through the cyclical patterns of the Mandinka kora, the earthy grooves of Afro-Peruvian landó and the festive drive of Cuban rumba. “Whispered Awakening,” the fourth studio album, is undoubtedly an important moment for the musician. Its importance is that the musician removes the unnecessary and remains alone with the instrument and memory. Movement toward precision – that is what changes the intonation of his music.
Thomas collected the material from March 2020 – in isolation, which everyone remembers. “This calm made it possible to think about the past, about those who were before us – about memories that previously did not have enough time,” he says. The album opens with “Dialogue” – the piece passes through several states: joy, anxiety, something similar to confusion – and comes to a resolution in the rhythm of Brazilian baião. At first moment it seemed strange to me to begin the album with a finale. But then I understood: this is exactly how the author works – first shows where he will arrive, and then explains where he came from. A logical continuation becomes “Reflection” – a track written on the guitar that the father gave to Rodriguez in the last month of his life. It seems that the piece rests on one motif, however, returning again and again, each time something different is heard. The sounds of the guitar, like memory, replay the moment.
The album changes vector in the brisk “Susurros del Despertar” (Whispered Awakening). Bulerías – fast, bold – with cajón and djembe, which reminds where flamenco actually comes from. “When performing flamenco, you must caress the guitar, and then destroy it,” Paco de Lucía said, and, in my opinion, Thomas subtly captured the meaning of the phrase while performing the piece. Solemnity is replaced by intimacy in “Landó para Maite.” Afro-Peruvian landó, dedicated to the wife. Bravado gives way to the sensitive interaction of Rodriguez’s guitar and the cajón of Jihio Parodi. The minor mode in the piece acts as catharsis, breaking into tears. From personal narrative the musician moves to a universal statement in the composition “Al Maestro Toumani.” In the dedication to the Malian master of the kora Toumani Diabaté, Rodriguez’s right hand works as two voices: one voice holds the pulse, the other scatters the melody on top and conducts a conversation with the kora. The conversation is continued by “Tamalabaa” – the name comes from the Mandinka word “research.” Time finally ceases to be linear, turning into a cyclical weaving of sounds. The melody of the guitar literally sparkles with all the colors of the rainbow, like salt crystals.
Special attention deserves the musician’s work with rhythm. For example, as in the composition “Guaguancó.” Cuban rumba turns the usual role of the instrument upside down: the guitar takes on the functions of percussion – short, dry strikes, muted strings, accents placed so that the body begins to react before the mind has time to parse the structure. Rethinking rumba through the guitar: Rodriguez does not copy the ensemble, he assembles it inside one instrument. From the physical drive of “Guaguancó” the final – “Mélancolie” – becomes more piercing. After all the journeys, dances and meetings Rodriguez returns to August 1969, to the moment of farewell with the first home. The circle closes with an effective chord – gallant and delicate sound of the guitar.
An anthem to the guitar and beautiful music – this is how one can call the new album “Whispered Awakening” by Thomas Rodriguez.
The album is released on May 1, 2026 on all streaming platforms. Rodriguez will present the album at concerts in Boise (April 11), McCall (April 12) and Brooklyn (May 3). For additional information, listening to music and ознакомления with the tour schedule, visit TomasRodriguez.com.
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