The young Argentine singer-songwriter and guitarist Karina Vismara has died (she was in her early 30s). She had been diagnosed with cancer and was admitted to hospital a month ago following kidney failure.
It was through fellow singer-songwriter and guitarist Buck Curran (Arborea, Obsolete Recordings) that I first heard Karina after he released a second tribute compilation album to Robbie Basho – Basket Full of Dragons: A Tribute to Robbie Basho Vol II. Joined by Mariano Rodriguez and Jonah Schwartz, Karina sang on the track ‘Wine Song of Love’:
One of her most popular tracks is Montana from her 2019 album Selva. UK audiences may well be familiar with the song which featured in the first season of the travel documentary ‘Long Way Up’ with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman when they visited South and Central America.
There are also two albums, available on Bandcamp, which we highly recommend and which Buck pointed me towards. Her 2015 album Cas del Viento (mastered by Devendra Banhart’s musical partner Noah Georgeson) is exceptional. As Buck said, “It’s an absolute classic of a Folk/Acoustic album. Not only is her singing great, but her guitar playing is wonderful and at times reminiscent of Bert Jansch.”
As Buck said, he has been sharing her music as a way to celebrate her life and her artistry. I hope a lot more people in the US and UK will discover her wonderful music. We strongly second that.
Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones.