JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 101st anniversary of the birth of the legendary Celia Cruz.
Category: Afro Latin Music
New Audio: Yeisy Rojas Shares Soulful and Anthemic “Immigrante y Que?
Yeisy Rojas is a Cuban-born, Oslo-based, classically trained, jazz violinist, singer/songwriter and composer. Back in her native Cuba, Rojas received a classical education and performed as a violinist with the National Opera Orchestra in Havana. Her passion for jazz led her to relocate to Norway, where she pursued her Masters studies in jazz violin at Kristiansand‘s University of Agder‘s Conservatory. The cross-cultural experience allowed Rojas to deepen her understanding of the African influences in Cuban music.
As a solo artist, Rojas’ work frequently sees her blending Cuban music, Latin jazz, funk and more with powerful social messages — in particular, she boldly speaks up against racism in her homeland and elsewhere. Her full-length debut, 2023’s Gaston Joya-produced A Mis Ancestros featured two singles I wrote about on this site:
- “Mama Ines,” an adaptation of Nicolás Guillén’s 1930 poem “Ayer Me Dijeron Negro” (Yesterday They Called Me Black) that pairs the poet’s words with a breezy and soulful arrangement that meshes elements of Latin soul, funk and jazz in a way that reminds me very fondly of the sounds of parties in the South Bronx, Lower East Side, Corona, East Elmhurst and so on.
- Album title track “A Mis Ancestros,” a gorgeous and soulful synthesis of bebop-era jazz, salsa, son cubano that not only showcases Rojas’ prodigious talent, but proudly and unabashedly displays a deep, reverential pride for her homeland and her ancestry. The song is a fairly autobiographical story that will be familiar for countless immigrants across the world: The nostalgia for the homeland — the language, the dear ones, the smells, the food — not only sparks memories and comparisons, it also sparks a much deeper appreciation for their culture.
Rojas’ latest single “Immigrante y Que” features a lush arrangement that effortlessly blends Cuban rumba, funk hip-hop and salsa paired with her self-assured and deeply proud delivery. As the Cuban-born, Norwegian-based artiste explains “Immigrante y Que” is anthem expressing pride, reliance and determination, meant to give voice to the millions across the world, who have left their homes in search of a better life and new opportunities for them or their descendants — or for safety.
Considering our current administration’s view of immigrants and anyone not White, CIS-male and heterosexual, “Immigrante y que” is a reminder that immigrants and migrants are supremely ordinary people, forced to make extraordinarily difficult decisions in extremely difficult times. And it’s a reminder that immigration and diversity makes the world much more interesting.
New Audio: Jupiter & Okwess Shares Defiantly Upbeat Banger
Jean-Pierre “Jupiter” Bokondji is a Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo-born and-based bandleader, songwriter and percussionist, who can trace the origins of his music career to his childhood: Bokondji’s grandmother was a traditional healer, who got introduced him to music by having him attend religious ceremonies and funerals, which he later would play percussion.
His father was a Congolese diplomat, who received a post at the Congolese embassy in East Berlin — and as a result, the family relocated to Germany. While in Germany Bokondji started his first band Der Neger, an act that meshed the Mongo music of his native Congo with the European rock of his German-born bandmates.
When his father’s post ended, the family returned to Kinshasa in the 1980s. Upon his family’s return, Bokondji traveled around the country listening to the music of the country’s different tribes, eventually developing and honing his own style and sound. In 1984, he formed a band called Bongofolk — and in 1990, he formed his best known and longest running band Okwess International, which currently features Staff Benda Bilili’s Montana (drums), Yendé (bass), Eric (guitar), Richard (guitar) and Blaise (vocals).
When Jupiter was young, he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, who was a diplomat. But, as he says, “Destiny is complicated. Life changed, and my life was making music on the streets in Kinshasa. But now we are performing all over the world, doing interviews, telling the world about the Congolese people – well, now I have the chance to be a diplomat. I did it differently.”
In the years immediately after their formation, the members of Jupiter & Okwess toured across Africa, playing a crowd-pleasing mix of Afropop, traditional Congolese rhythms, funk and rock paired with strong sociopolitical messages that Bokondji has dubbed “bofenia rock.” But unfortunately, as they saw increased popularity, a bloody civil war broke out in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Some of the band’s members fled to Europe as a result of the war; however, Bokondji remained in Kinshasa. And as the war died down, the Congolese songwriter, bandleader and percussionist saw a resurgence of his popularity.
Bokondji was featured in the 2006 documentary film Jupiter’s Dance. The film brought him to the attention of British producers and musicians: The following year Blur‘s and Gorillaz‘s Damon Albarn and Massive Attack‘s Robert Del Naja first visited Kinshasa. That first trip spurred various collaborations with Jupiter & Okwess opening for Blur and guesting on Albarn’s 2012 album Kinshasa One Two. Bokondji and his bandmates also joined the Africa Express tour and made the rounds of the global festival circuit, including sets at Glastonbury Festival and Way Out West. Adding to a rapidly growing international profile, the act released their then-long-awaited full-length debut, 2013’s Hotel Univers.
In 2013, Massive Attack remixed “Jupiter (Battle Box).” As a result of this breakout success, the band toured across the UK, Mexico, Japan, New Zealand and France.
The Kinshasa-based act’s sophomore effort, 2018’s Kin Sonic saw the band drawing from sounds outside of their homeland, incorporating elements of modern, contemporary music to the mix. The Afropop outfit supported the album with 180 dates across the globe, including performing in the Paris production of Abderrahmane Sissako and Damon Albarn’s opera Le Vol du Boli.
Their third album, 2021’s Na Kazonga saw the Congolese outfit meshing an array of sounds from across the African Diaspora including traditional African music, disco, jazz, New Orleans brass, samba and soul while still remaining committed to conscious, sociopolitical lyrics and a strong sense of purpose.
The acclaimed Congolese outfit’s fourth album, Ekoya is slated for a February 7, 2025 release through Airfono. The album represents a new chapter for the band, as the material sees the band blending their signature mix of soulful Congolese funk, rock and soukous with influences from Mexico and across Latin America, informed by cross-cultural encounters and drawing from the shared history of African people in two continents.
Ekoya was conceived in 2020 when the Congolese band were touring across South America, a tour shaped by the specter of lockdowns and interruptions. Once the tour was finished, the band was forced to pause in Mexico for a period of time, before returning home. For the band, it was a transformative experience, as they found themselves immersed in Latin American culture. “Latin America has influenced us a lot… but our music hasn’t changed, it has just been given a new dimension,” Bokondji says. “When we were there, we discovered things that pushed us to think differently. Because it’s like a continuation of Africa. There are people there who have African roots, Congolese roots – they are part of the story of Africa. They are part of us, and they are a part of our music.”
Recorded in Mexico rather than the band’s hometown, the album explores themes of change and resilience, of Indigenous peoples’ issues and the joys and struggles of everyday life. The 12-song album features guest spots from Brazilian singer Flavia Coelho, Mexican Zapotec rapper Mare Advertencia and Congolese singer Soyi Nsele — and lyrics in eight different languages. The album sees the band as both proudly Congolese and profoundly global.
The band explains that when it came time to record the album, Mexico was a natural destination with the band recording material in studios in Guadalajara and Mexico City, while working with a series of producers including Mexican Institute of Sound’s Camilo Lara.
Late last year, I wrote about album single “Les Bons Comptes,” a collaboration with Brazilian vocalist Flavia Coelho that’s anchored around a driving soukous-meets Kinshasa funk rock groove, punchily delivered shouted call-and-response vocals and a soulful contribution from Coelho. While being a soulful and effortless mix of Africa and South America, the song is rooted in the conscious, sociopolitical charged lyrics and warm welcoming spirit the Congolese outfit is known for. But the song is also underpinned by a desire to be the connective tissue and soul of the global African Diaspora.
Ekoya‘s second and latest single “Congo Blinders” is a joyous track anchored around collaboration with Brazilian vocalist Flavia Coelho that’s anchored around a driving soukous-meets Kinshasa funk rock groove, punchily delivered shouted call-and-response vocals, a relentless four-on-the-four drum pattern and a fiery guitar solo. Much like its immediate predecessor, “Congo Blinders” further cements the Congolese outfit’s uncanny knack for pairing catchy hooks, hypnotic grooves with defiantly upbeat, politically charged messages.
New Audio: Jupiter & Okwess Teams Up with Flavia Coehlo on a Globalist Banger
Jean-Pierre “Jupiter” Bokondji is a Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo-born and-based bandleader, songwriter and percussionist, who can trace the origins of his music career to his childhood: Bokondji’s grandmother was a traditional healer, who got introduced him to music by having him attend religious ceremonies and funerals, which he later would play percussion.
His father was a Congolese diplomat, who received a post at the Congolese embassy in East Berlin — and as a result, the family relocated to Germany. While in Germany Bokondji started his first band Der Neger, an act that meshed the Mongo music of his native Congo with the European rock of his German-born bandmates.
When his father’s post ended, the family returned to Kinshasa in the 1980s. Upon his family’s return, Bokondji traveled around the country listening to the music of the country’s different tribes, eventually developing and honing his own style and sound. In 1984, he formed a band called Bongofolk — and in 1990, he formed his best known and longest running band Okwess International, which currently features Staff Benda Bilili’s Montana (drums), Yendé (bass), Eric (guitar), Richard (guitar) and Blaise (vocals).
In the years immediately after their formation, the members of Jupiter & Okwess toured across Africa, playing a crowd-pleasing mix of Afropop, traditional Congolese rhythms, funk and rock paired with strong sociopolitical messages that Bokondji has dubbed “bofenia rock.” But unfortunately, as they saw increased popularity, a bloody civil war broke out in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Some of the band’s members fled to Europe as a result of the war; however, Bokondji remained in Kinshasa. And as the war died down, the Congolese songwriter, bandleader and percussionist saw a resurgence of his popularity.
Bokondji was featured in the 2006 documentary film Jupiter’s Dance. The film brought him to the attention of British producers and musicians: The following year Blur‘s and Gorillaz‘s Damon Albarn and Massive Attack‘s Robert Del Naja first visited Kinshasa. That first trip spurred various collaborations with Jupiter & Okwess opening for Blur and guesting on Albarn’s 2012 album Kinshasa One Two. Bokondji and his bandmates also joined the Africa Express tour and made the rounds of the global festival circuit, including sets at Glastonbury Festival and Way Out West. Adding to a rapidly growing international profile, the act released their then-long-awaited full-length debut, 2013’s Hotel Univers.
In 2013, Massive Attack remixed “Jupiter (Battle Box).” As a result of this breakout success, the band toured across the UK, Mexico, Japan, New Zealand and France.
The Kinshasa-based act’s sophomore effort, 2018’s Kin Sonic saw the band drawing from sounds outside of their homeland, incorporating elements of modern, contemporary music to the mix. The Afropop outfit supported the album with 180 dates across the globe, including performing in the Paris production of Abderrahmane Sissako and Damon Albarn’s opera Le Vol du Boli.
Their third album, 2021’s Na Kazonga saw the Congolese outfit meshing an array of sounds from across the African Diaspora including traditional African music, disco, jazz, New Orleans brass, samba and soul while still remaining committed to conscious, sociopolitical lyrics and a strong sense of purpose.
The acclaimed Congolese outfit’s fourth album, Ekoya is slated for a February 7, 2025 release through Airfono. The album represents a new chapter for the band, as the material sees the band blending their signature mix of soulful Congolese funk, rock and soukous with influences from Mexico and across Latin America, informed by cross-cultural encounters and drawing from the shared history of African people in two continents.
Ekoya was conceived in 2020 when the Congolese band were touring across South America, a tour shaped by the specter of lockdowns and interruptions. Once the tour was finished, the band was forced to pause in Mexico for a period of time, before returning home. For the band, it was a transformative experience, as they found themselves immersed in Latin American culture. “Latin America has influenced us a lot… but our music hasn’t changed, it has just been given a new dimension,” Bokondji says. “When we were there, we discovered things that pushed us to think differently. Because it’s like a continuation of Africa. There are people there who have African roots, Congolese roots – they are part of the story of Africa. They are part of us, and they are a part of our music.”
Recorded in Mexico rather than the band’s hometown, the album explores themes of change and resilience, of Indigenous peoples’ issues and the joys and struggles of everyday life. The 12-song album features guest spots from Brazilian singer Flavia Coelho, Mexican Zapotec rapper Mare Advertencia and Congolese singer Soyi Nsele — and lyrics in eight different languages. The album sees the band as both proudly Congolese and profoundly global.
The band explains that when it came time to record the album, Mexico was a natural destination with the band recording material in studios in Guadalajara and Mexico City, while working with a series of producers including Mexican Institute of Sound’s Camilo Lara.
Ekoya’s latest single “Les Bons Comptes” is a collaboration with Brazilian vocalist Flavia Coelho that’s anchored around a driving soukous-meets Kinshasa funk rock groove, punchily delivered shouted call-and-response vocals and a soulful contribution from Coelho. While being a soulful and effortless mix of Africa and South America, the song is rooted in the conscious, sociopolitical charged lyrics and warm welcoming spirit the Congolese outfit is known for. But the song is also underpinned by a desire to be the connective tissue and soul of the global African Diaspora.
New Video: Yeisy Rojas Shares Lush and Reverential “A Mis Ancestros”
I’m currently in Philadelphia for the fourth installment of Asian Arts Initiative’s Sound Type Music Festival and Music Writers Workshop. Of course, the show must go on as much as humanly possible. JOVM is very much like the saying engraved on the James Farley Post Office, which now comprises Moynihan Train Hall, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”
So let’s get to it.
Yeisy Rojas is a Cuban-born, Oslo-based, classically trained, jazz violinist, singer/songwriter and composer. Back in her native Cuba, Rojas received a classical education and performed as a violinist with the National Opera Orchestra in Havana. Her passion for jazz led her to relocate to Norway, where she pursued her Masters studies in jazz violin at Kristiansand‘s University of Agder‘s Conservatory. The cross-cultural experience allowed Rojas to deepen her understanding of the African influences in Cuban music.
As a solo artist, Rojas’ work frequently sees her blending Cuban music, Latin jazz, funk and more with powerful social messages — in particular, she boldly speaks up against racism in her homeland and elsewhere. Her full-length debut, last year’s Gaston Joya-produced A Mis Ancestros featured the previously released “Mama Ines,” an adaptation of Nicolás Guillén’s 1930 poem “Ayer Me Dijeron Negro” (Yesterday They Called Me Black) that pairs the poet’s words with a breezy and soulful arrangement that meshes elements of Latin soul, funk and jazz in a way that reminds me very fondly of the sounds of parties in the South Bronx, Lower East Side, Corona, East Elmhurst and so on.
Rojas has picked up work as a freelance violinist to support her career, playing events across Norway, Sweden and Denmark while earning multiple invitations to perform on Norwegian national radio. Back in 2022, she opened the International Jazz Day Gala at Oslo’s Nasjonal Jazz Scene, playing in front of a full house. The success of that performance inspired the Cuban-born, Oslo-based artist to create her own international jazz celebration, A Vision for Unity which aims to bring together artists from diverse nationalities to promote unity and peace through music. “We all are a family, and no matter where we come from, the only thing we want to do is to live in peace,” the Cuban-born, Oslo-based artist says. “Not because someone came from a dictatorship means that person is the enemy.”
In just its second edition, Rojas’ Vision for Unity has become a highly-anticipated event on the music calendar for local audiences while garnering increased attention from artists’ organizations across the country.
Earlier this year, the Cuban-born, Norwegian artist was highlighted by Billboard as an emerging start and by Rolling Stone en Español as an artist you need to know. Building upon a growing profile within the international Latin music scene, Rojas shares A Mis Ancestros‘ latest single, album title track “A Mis Ancestros” is a gorgeous and soulful synthesis of bebop-era jazz, salsa, son cubano that not only showcases Rojas’ prodigious talent, but proudly and unabashedly displays a deep, reverential pride for her homeland and her ancestry. The song is a fairly autobiographical story that will be familiar for countless immigrants across the world. The nostalgia for the homeland — the language, the dear ones, the smells, the food — not only sparks memories and comparisons, it also sparks a much deeper appreciation for their culture.
Directed by Marcus Støren, the accompanying video for “A Mis Ancestros” follows a young woman, who has bravely made the journey from her homeland to Norway to make a new life for herself. While looking at an old photo of her mother, she manages to travel back in time to reunite with her mother, who reminds her that she’s beautiful and should be proud of herself; that her skin coloring and her curly hair come from the Motherland; that Black is always beautiful. Through his journey, she meets her ancestors, who welcome and guide her.
Formed back in 2016, the Austin-based outfit Superfónicos — Jaime Ospina (vocals, gaita, percussion), Nicolás Sanchez Castro (bass, melodica, vibes backing vocals), Nick Tozzo (Congas, tambor alegre, timbales, percussion), Daniel Sanchez (drums, percussion, backing vocals), Chris “Zumbi” Richards (trombone, bombardino), Evan Marley Hegarty (keys), Erick Bohoroquez (guitar, backing vocals), and Andreas Villegas (guitar, backing vocals) — have specialized in a sound that features elements of Colombian funk, cumbia and Afrobeat, informed by the fact that most of the band’s members have deep roots in Colombia.
While highlight the country’s Caribbean coastal sounds, it is also a celebration of the human spirit, telling stories of the displaced, folkloric tales form the countryside, and the reminder to let go and embrace experiences that are more connected to the earth and our ancestors.
The band has played Austin City Limits Festival twice — in 2018 and 2021. They’ve also shared stages with the likes of Ozomatli, Aterciopelados, Jungle Fire, Grupo Fantasma, Brownout, Meridian Brothers, Sudan Archives and Allah-Las.
2018’s Suelta EP was recorded with Black Pumas‘ founder Adrian Quesada, 2019’s Cumbealo EP was record with Spoon‘s Jim Eno, and their full-length debut, the recently released Renaceré was recorded with Grupo Fantasma’s, Caramelo Haze’s and Money Chicha‘s Beto Martinez.
Renaceré translates into English as “I will be reborn” and thematically, the album’s material touches upon rebirth resilience and the cyclical nature of life through the lens of their unique take on Colombian Roots fusion, which owes as much to Africa and the Americas, as it does to Colombia — and the bandmembers’ Colombian heritage. According to the band’s Jamie Ospina, “This record is a celebration of the resilience of the human spirit and life. We all went through hard times in the last 4 years but here we are; breathing, singing, dancing and what not.” Nicolás adds, “The cycle of life and the concept of rebirth play heavily into the theme of the record. Many ups and downs happened during this period, for the band and society as a whole, but ultimately we came out of the process stronger, like a blade forged in the flames.”
The album’s recording process spanned several years, beginning just before COVID-19 lockdowns and concluding earlier this year. Most of the album was recorded at Beto Martinez’s Lechehouse Music, where Martinez captured the sounds and textures of Colombia’s Caribbean Coast with gaita flue and tambor alegre. “We also use the Bombardino (Euphonium) on many tunes. It is commonly used in Colombian Cumbia arrangements but is not as common stateside,” the band says. Additional recording took place at Public Hi-Fi with Spoon’s Jim Eno and Electric Deluxe with Aaron Glemboski.
Renaceré latest single “La Verdad” is a lush and strutting bit of psychedelic cumbia anchored around buzzing and twinkilng keys, shuffling rhythms, expressive horn bursts paired with an incredibly catchy hook and chorus. The song’s narrator tells a tale about a juglar (a troubadour) searching for his lost love and losing his mind. Ultimately, the song — and its narrator — suggests that those who are deemed crazy often hold the truth.
New Video: JOVM Mainstays Ibeyi Share Gorgeous and Symbolic Visual for Mesmerizing “Sister 2 Sister”
Deriving their name from the Yoruba word for twins ibeji, the acclaimed French-Cuban, London-based twin sibling duo Ibeyi (pronounced ee-bey-ee) — Lisa-Kainde Diaz and Naomi Diaz — can trace the origins of their music career to growing up in a deeply musical home: their father, Anga Diaz, was best known for his work as a member of the intentionally acclaimed Buena Vista Social Club and for collaborating with Ibrahim Ferrer, Ruben Gonzalez and Compay Segundo. Sadly, Anga died when the Diaz Sisters were 11.
Upon their father’s death, Lisa-Kainde and Naomi began studying Yoruba folk songs and the cajon, an Afro-Caribbean drum that their father played throughout most of his career. Interestingly enough, although Yoruba is primarily spoken throughout Nigeria and Benin, the African language has been spoken in some fashion in Cuba since the 1700s, when the slave trade brought Africans to the Caribbean. So when the twins started studying their late father’s music and cultural heritage, they had a deeper understanding of their father as a person, while getting in touch with their ancestral history.
The twins 2015 self-titled debut was critically applauded. Thematically, the album dealt with the past — their father’s life and death, their relationship with each other, their own origins and connecting with their roots. Sonically the album saw them quickly establishing a unique sound that features elements of electro pop, hip-hop, jazz, the blues and Yoruba folk music.
The JOVM mainstays’ sophomore album 2017’s Ash saw the sibling duo writing songs firmly rooted in Afro-Cuban culture and history — but while arguably being among the most visceral, politically charged material of their catalog to date, with the album’s material thematically touching upon race, gender and sexual identity.
Slated for a May 6, 2022 release through XL Recordings, Spell 31, Ibeyi’s third album derives its title from “Spell 31” in The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead, which interestingly enough became the premise of the album’s first single “Made of Gold,” a lushly textured song featuring atmospheric synths, buzzing bass synths, skittering tweeter and woofer rattling beats, the twins’ gorgeous and dreamy harmonizing and a guest spot from Gambian-British emcee Pa Salieu.
When the twins returned to the studio to write and record new material, they had felt a sense of chaos, informed by the chaotic state of the world surrounding them. As they got to work, they set out to invoke the age-old teachings of their ancestors to remobilize the power of their birth-given destiny as Ibeyi.
The album reportedly sees the twins on a path to restoration in pursuit of true harmony, healing and magic — all of which, we desperately need right now. The JOVM mainstays commissioned activist and storyteller Janaya Future Khan to write an essay for them, after meeting the activist and storyteller. Khan explains “Ibeyi’s Spell 31 is their boldest offering yet, an antidote to apathy in a divided world.” They explain further, “Spell 31 casts with conviction, transmuting nihilism into sangoma, binaries into endless dualites, moral austerity into abundance. A subversive and halcyonic manifesto from queens of a sovereign land, Ibeyi occupies the liminal, the space between life and death, past and present, right and wrong, and calls for the interior revelations that create the systemic revolutions we long for.”
Continuing their successful collaboration with their long-time producer Richard Russell, Spell 31‘s 10 songs were written, produced and recorded by the duo and features appearances from Jorja Smith, BERYWN, the twins’ father and mother, and the aforementioned Pa Salieu. The album also features a reimagining of Black Flag‘s “Rise Above.”
Along with the album announcement, the JOVM mainstays released Spell 31‘s lead single “Sister 2 Sister.” Centered around a hyper modern production featuring wobbling bass synths, skittering beats, glistening synths and the twins’ gorgeous harmonies “Sister 2 Sister” is inspired and informed by their Afro-Latin roots and their sisterhood: They recall a fond memory singing along to Shakira in the mirror and they talk about how they know they can depend on and rely on each other — even when they’re occasionally when they’re at odds. The song also features a sample of “River” off their self-titled debut.
Directed by Colin Solar Cardo, the accompanying visual for “Sister 2 Sister” stars Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Diaz, along with a collection of beautiful dancers. While incredibly symbolic, the visual touches upon the themes of its accompanying song — with the sisters’ and dancers’, movements conveying the twins’ deep bond.
New Video: Combo Chimbita Release a Gorgeous Visual for Meditative “Todos Santos”
Acclaimed Latinx group Combo Chimbita — — Carolina Oliveros (vocals), Prince of Queens (synths, bass), Niño Lento (guitar) and Dilemastronauta — features members of New York-based Colombian folk collective Bulla en el Barrio and is a sort of related side project. Interestingly, the members of Combo Chimbita can trace the origins of their genre-mashing sound, which feature elements of cumbia, electro pop and Afro-futurism, to their experiments with different traditional music styles during their late night residencies at Park Slope, Brooklyn-based club Barbes. Most of that experimentation included explorations between visual identity and improvisational long-form trips that would eventually lead to their self-recorded, 2016 full-length debut El Corridor del Jaguar.
Unsurprisingly, the members of Combo Chimbita have cited Sun Ra’s Afro-futurism as a deep influence on their work and overall aesthetic — with the New York-based Latinx group crafting their own take, one, which they’ve dubbed Tropical Futurism. “The idea that the future doesn’t necessarily have to be this super white Western high-tech Star Wars stuff; that the indigenous ideas and culture of people of color, people of Latin America, can also represent a magical and substantial future,” Combo Chimbita explain. “It’s a vision that maybe a lot of people don’t necessarily think about often. The old and deep knowledge that indigenous people have of the land has been neglected for many years as part of capitalism and colonization.”
2016’s Lily Wen-produced sophomore album Abya Yala found the band further establishing their Afro-futurism-inspired take on cumbia and other traditional Colombian folk styles. Shortly after the release of Abya Yala, the members of Combo Chimbita began to receive attention locally and elsewhere for their live show, led by Oliveros’ powerhouse vocals and commanding stage presence. Eventually, the acclaimed Latinx group caught the attention of ANTI- Records, who signed the band to the label and released their third album 2019’s Ahomale.
Much like countless others, the pandemic wound up putting the act’s plans on an indefinite pause — but they used the time to write a batch of singles, including their latest, the slow-burning “Todos Santos.” Featuring atmospheric synths, skittering beats, a sinuous bass line, hypnotic four-on-the-floor-like drumming, expressive guitars, Afro-Colombian percussion and Oliveros’ yearning vocals, “Todos Santos” finds the act continuing to effortlessly and seamlessly mesh the ancient with the hyper contemporary.
e Mother of all Orishas in Yoruban tradition — and guardian of the ocean, representing home, creation and love. “Todos Santos gave us an opportunity to situate our instruments in such a special place, out in the open near the ocean, with no people around, just listening to the wind and watching the birds,” the band’s Prince of Queens recalls. ““It generated a peaceful & tranquil energy, which reflects our capacity to heal and to forgive, something we often lose sight of through the hustle of day-to-day life.” Dilemastronauta adds “The track’s hypnotic drumming was done in collaboration with Grammy-nominated percussionist Philbert Armenteros, a Cuban-born Babalawo and dear friend to Combo Chimbita who helped us perform this special homage to Yemaya.”
Directed by Iván Vernaza, the recently released video for “Todos Santos,” is the second of a series of visuals accompanying news Combo Chimbita material that follows the journey of Colombian sisters in a non-linear storyline that began with
“Mujer Jaguar” The videos were filmed and produced in Cali, Colombia at the beginning of a national uprising that has seen the government respond with violent repression against its citizens. “Mujer Jaguar” followed a young woman, whose fiery presence was connected to the current resistance across Abya Yala. “Todos Santos” is a gorgeously shot, nostalgia-fueled fever dream centered around an interconnected community of women, who guide and love the video’s roaring and passionate protagonist.
e surrounding mountains, we knew this song would be healing, purifying, and hopeful. Those maternal characteristics are something we wanted to evoke through the single and its video, recognizing that the young girl who roared in ‘Mujer Jaguar,’ had a process of learning and unlearning, of guidance and autonomy, which she uses to confront life,” Carolina Oliveros explains in press notes.
New Audio: Meridian Brothers Release a Chiptune Inspired Take on Cumbia
Eblis Alvarez is a Bogota, Colombia-based singer/songwriter, guitarist and the creative mastermind behind the acclaimed and forward-thinking recording project Meridian Brothers. Alvarez’s forthcoming Meridian Brothers album Cumbia Siglo XXI is slated for an August 21, 2020 release through Bongo Joe Records — and the album, which is the highly-anticipated follow-up to the act’s critically applauded (largely acoustic) ¿Dónde estás María? continues the Colombian artist’s long-held reputation for relentlessly pushing his sound and approach in new and radical directions.
Inspired by Cumbia Siglo XX’s experimentation with traditional cumbia in the late ’70s and early ’80s, which led to a completely new form of the genre, Cumbia Siglo XXI sees Alvarez using a multitude of guitars, synths, algorithmic software, vintage drum machines and whatever tech that the acclaimed Colombian artist could get his hands on. And while the album’s material sonically seemingly to draw a bit from Kraftwerk, the album reportedly is a sonic blend of EDM “sidechain” techniques and traditional cumbia.
Earlier this year, I wrote about Cumbia Siglo XXI‘s first single “Puya del Empressario,” an infectious yet let field take on cumbia that sounded a bit like like eThe Man Machine-era Kraftwerk meets JOVM mainstay El Dusty — with a mischievous sense of adventurousness. “Los Golpeadores de la cumbia,” Cumbia Siglo XXI’s latest single is a mischievous synthesis of chip-tune, electro pop and cumbia that sounds like came straight from the Island of Misfit Toys.
The recently released Bibiana Rojas-edited video for “Los Golpeadores de la cumbia” features a split screen — the left-hand side of the screen we see a man, text people, receive a phone call and take selfies. On the right-hand side, we see some surreal drawings by Mateo Rivano.
New Video: Inland Empire’s QUITAPENAS Releases an 80s Spielberg-Inspired Visual for Breezy Album Single “Tranquilidad”
Deriving their name from the Spanish slang term for “to remove worries,” the Inland Empire, California-based tropical, Afro Latin sextet QUITAPENAS, which is comprised of Daniel Gomez (guitar, vocals), Mark Villela (guacharaca), Hector Chavez (bass, sax, vocals), David Quinetero (keys, bass), Ivan McCormick (drums), Eduardo Valencia (conga, drums) formed back in 2011. And since the band’s formation, they’ve developed a reputation for a sound that draws from the sounds of Angola, Peru, Colombia, Brazil and elsewhere during the 60s-80s, but with a subtly modern touch. But interestingly, the California-based act has a simple mission — to make you dance all night, and forget your worries.
QUITAPENAS latest album Tigrada is slated for release on Friday through Cosmica Records, and the soon-to-be released album reportedly finds the band speaking about the realities of the world they come from — and in a joyful and fiercely confrontational fashion. The album’s latest single “Tranquilidad” draws from the Funana music of Cabo Verde and Puerto Rican Bomba, and as a result the propulsive, dance floor friendly track possesses a breezily escapist air. But underneath that is a song that pays homage and respects to the environment.
Directed by @Bracero.LA, the recently released video for “Tranquilidad” follows an extraterrestrial, who crash lands on Earth — and fittingly in the band’s native Inland Empire. Although the brightly colored creature has traveled the known universe in peace, discovery and friendship, as soon as it leaves its damaged spaceship, the authorities — in this case, the dreaded la miagra — chase after it, with intentions to lock it up. The extraterrestrial, which is the anthropomorphic representation of tranquility manages to charm some local kids in the immigrant and migrant community of Inland Empire. And of course, it’s the local kids and a handful of other kind souls that protect the extraterrestrial traveler, helping it return to its spaceship to escape. Drawing from Star Wars, ET, The Goonies and Stranger Things, the video, which was shot in what director Andrew Vasquez puts it “the Tatooine of Riverside,” a “. . .reimagined world that Spielberg left behind.” While serving as a statement on the power and idealism of youth pushing humanity forward, it’s also an apt (and much-needed) statement on the humanity and decency of our country’s immigrant and migrant communities.