Red Hot + Ra: Solar – Sun Ra in Brasil (A Tribute to Sun Ra: Volume 2) (2023)
Transa (2024)
Transa (stylized as TRAИƧA) is a compilation album, released by the Red Hot Organization on November 22, 2024. The album includes 46 songs and contributions from over a hundred musicians in "celebration of the trans community" and to bring awareness to trans rights.[1][2]
Transa continued the non-profit organization Red Hot's work in releasing compilation albums to promote ideals such as diversity and equal access to healthcare; the organization began with their 1990 compliation Red Hot + Blue, which raised money for AIDS research.[2][3]
Transa was conceived in 2021 by producers Dust Reid and Massima Bell. The two met on a film set for a short project in which Bell spoke about her appreciation for nature. While on set, Reid played songs by "artists that I feel like gender-expansive people are really tuned into".[2] Reid was already considering a project centering around trans and non-binary people, and the 2021 death of trans producer Sophie greatly inspired the project's development.[4] Reid, who produced the 2014 Red Hot compliaton Red Hot + Arthur Russell, likened Sophie's death to that of Russell's, stating that "I just thought that Sophie prematurely passing was like losing Arthur Russell all over again", and added "I feel like if [Russell] was alive today, he'd be producing for all the best artists".[2] Reid and Bell then began seriously working on the project together.[2][4] They conceived the album as an eight-part work, reflecting the eight stripes of the rainbow pride flag.[5] Reid and Bell named the album Transa, after the 1972 album of the same name by Brazilian musician Caetano Veloso.[2] In Brazilian Portuguese, transa is an informal term referring to sexual intercourse,[6] though Reid and Bell redefined the term as a verb − "to love with no limitations on gender expression".[2] Bell has expressed that the album is a "crucial act of 'archive-making'" for the trans community.[3]
The two set to connect trans and nonbinary musicians invited to contribute to the album, with their musical inspirations.[5]Transa was noted by Rolling Stone to be more diverse in its musical genres and gender identities than previous Red Hot compilations.[2] When inviting artists to contribute, Reid and Bell asked if they would want to send in an original song or a cover. They invited British singer Sade, who they initially thought would be difficult to land a contribution from. Bell wrote a personal letter to Sade in March 2023, which was personally delivered to her by saxophonist Stuart Matthewman, who plays in the singer's band and who had previously recorded for Red Hot + Arthur Russell.[2] Inspired by the narrative framework of Transa, Sade agreed to record "Young Lion" for the album.[2] After reading rapper André 3000's name on a list of potential contributors, Sade asked if he had committed to the album yet. After letting him know about Sade's inquiry, André 3000 spoke with Reid on a Zoom call to learn more about the project. He then sent in a 26-minute-long composition for the album.[2]
In July 2024, many of the album's contributors met at Gary's Electric, a Brooklyn recording studio, for a listening session of the album.[2]
Red Hot Organization announced the album in September 2024.[5] On September 28, a launch concert for the album was held in Manhattan's East Village. It was attended by around 450 people.[2] The album was released on November 22, 2024.[1][2][7]
