Topferova returned to the guitar recently, because she wanted to work on a broader harmonic palette than the cuatro allows. She found herself playing a kind of folk-rock tune, and lyrics began to emerge — in English. “I didn’t plan on writing in English, it just sort of happened.” Now she has about eight songs in English, and she’s planning two different releases — another acoustic Spanish-language album and an album of English originals leaning more toward folk rock. “Maybe people really do need to see me sing in all three languages — Czech, Spanish, and English — in order to embrace me in a more complete way.”
Of course, there’s no reason for an American audience to question a singer named Marta whose last name ends in a vowel singing songs in Spanish — and the show she’s planned for the MFA with one of her elegant small ensembles is all Spanish. But you have to wonder: in what kind of accent will she sing her English songs?
FORRO IN THE DARK + MARTA TOPFEROVA | Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave, Boston | July 16 | 7:30 pm | 617.369.3306 or www.mfa.org
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