songs in the key of life

President Hugo Chavez, who has been known to belt out Venezuelan folk songs during his frequent television appearances, has recorded an album. On a new compilation of revolutionary songs released by his United Socialist Party, timed to coincide with the last weeks of a campaign to elect governors and mayors, he sings an ode to a 19th-century rebel leader. The album, called “Battle Music,” also features a rap track that samples a Chávez speech.