One of the hottest music scenes in the world is emerging right now in Colombia and through New York, the new home of many of Colombia's top musicians. These groups have discovered a treasure in traditional Colombian music, and they are fusing these folkloric sounds with the best of jazz, rock, and hip-hop to produce something altogether new and exciting. This compilation brings you a sampling of this scene--a collection of great music, much of it available for the first time in the US. From New York, all of the Chonta artists are represented, as well as the wonderful singer Marta Gomez. From Colombia, the crowd-pleasers Mojarra Electrica and Cabuya have Top 10-worthy singles here (each using humor to make important social points), and the Colombian band with the biggest buzz, the hip-hop trio Chocquibtown, show up with a marimba-soaked Pacific rap. Two pioneers of this new musical movement, Curupira and Alé Kuma, demonstrate their mastery of reinventing traditional music, and fans of the Colombian jazz scene will be thrilled to hear Medellin's masters, Puerto Candelaria, along with the Bogota free jazzers, Asdrubal.
The CD has songs for dancing, partying, listening, and appreciating, but the common energy (and great rhythms) makes for a cohesive, wonderful album.
Tracklisting:
Por Qué Me Pega - Alé Kuma
Dobladillo a la Lengua - Folklore Urbano
El Billetico - Cabuya
Cancion Mandala - Coba
Porro Lateral - Puerto Candelaria
Encarnacion - La Cumbiamba eNeYé
Somos Pacifico - Chocquibtown
Pececito de Agua - Marta Gomez
El Hueco - Mojarra Electrica
Festina Lente - Asdrubal
Fanny - Samurindo
Ningun Detalle - Curupira
Bambuco a la Orilla - Ricardo Gallo
Coba Cancion Mandala
CHON006
$14.95
The gorgeous new Coba CD, Cancion Mandala, should prove to be a favorite this winter, with its warm melodies and compositions as intricate as snowflakes. Featuring Lucia Pulido, Joana Santos, and Yarimir Caban on vocals, this album is poetic and profound. Sebastian Cruz's songs reflect the quieter moments of Colombian music, in happiness and in despair. There's a universality to these songs--the Colombian rhythms add a touch of otherworldliness to the guitar-based rock sounds, and the result is a collection of finely crafted gems.
Cruz has long been regarded as a "musician's musician," and with this CD, he offers a deeply personal work for a broad audience.
Tracklisting:
Cancion Mandala
Cisnes
Sé Verlas al Reves
Para Navegar
Hilo y Aguja
Mirandote
Bambuco Viejo
El Diablo de la Botella
Tu Nombre
Ojo del Huracan
Samurindo
Cuando Ovejas
CHON004
$14.95
This is a drummer's jazz band, and it's clear from the propulsive songs. With a rhythmic attack, Daniel Correa teams up with Coba guitarist Sebastian Cruz for one of the most lively and raw jazz records of the year. The band plays with a bunch of different traditional rhythms while also keeping the listener captivated with great melodies and invprovisations.
Tracklisting:
Cuando Ovejas No Era Sucre
La Corriente
Fanny
Viene Llegando
Un Porrito
El Incumplido
Plan B
Openandclose
Cumbia Enguayaba
La Cumbiamba eNeyé Marioneta
CHON003
$14.95
Over five years in the making, Marioneta is the rhythm-packed debut album from NYC's La Cumbiamba eNeYé. The album is authentically rooted in the Afro-Colombian traditions of both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts of Colombia, and the result is a dance party that everybody can enjoy.
On songs like the catchy "Fiestas de mi Tierra", the band brings it own unique, contemporary take on this traditional Afro-Colombian music, while other tracks sound as though they might be played around a bonfire at a beach village party. The musicians have paid extraordinary attention to detail here, and the music is truly transporting. Originally self-released last year, Marioneta has been re-mixed, re-mastered, and re-packaged--with the quality it deserves--for its Chonta release.
To read a review of Marioneta at Rootsworld.com, click here.
Composer and pianist Ricardo Gallo's first CD, Los Cerros Testigos, is an ambitious Colombian jazz album, full of Colombian-style melodies to novel free jazz applications of traditional Colombian instruments. Lauded by All About Jazz as being "a terrific record from beginning to end," the album evokes the cool and cosmopolitan Bogota nights. Ricardo is active in groups both in New York and in Bogota, where he is a central figure of the avant garde musicians' collective called La Distritofonica. We are proud that Los Cerros Testigos is the first co-release between Chonta and La Distritofonica!
Folklore Urbano's second CD is ecstatic and sexy and subtle and passionate, richly textured Colombian music with a groove made for dancing. Featuring Ronald Polo on vocals, Pablo Mayor's NYC collective makes Colombian rhythms sound brand new, with a fresh take on cumbia, porro, chalupa, and other classic styles. Original compositions, like the burning "Dobladillo a la Lengua," make Baile/Dance one of the essential Colombian releases of the past several years. It's as thrilling for those just discovering Colombian music as it is for long-time aficionados.
Tracklisting:
Te Olvidé
Dobledillo a la Lengua
La Pringamosa
Cuando Llegué a Nueva York
Cumbia Sobre el Mar
El Aboroto
Canta Muchacha
Chalupa NY (dance version)
De Ti Ya No Quiero Na'
Santa Teresita
Tiempos Buenos
Chalupa NY (jazz version)
El Viejo Jose
Folklore Urbano Aviso
CHXP001
$11.95
Folklore Urbano's first album, it was nominated by Latin Beat magazine as one of the top ten Latin albums of 2003. Aviso is a Colombian take on Latin Jazz showcasing the compositions of Pablo Mayor.
For a review by Marta Gomez (in Spanish), click here.
Tracklisting:
Carángaro
Cabeza de Ratón
Canción
Espumas
Historieta
Anna
Well You Needn't
Algún Día
Como Pa' Desenguayabar
Aviso
Coba Coba
CHXP002
$11.95
Coba's self-titled debut CD, features the compostions of guitarist Sebastian Cruz, who explores new approaches to traditional Colombian rhythms. With a rich variety of singers, like Ivan Benavides and Lucia Pulido, the music on this CD offers a very personal and fresh take on a community's ancient and profound legacy.
1/9 ricardo gallo's debut rereleased
after selling out of our first printing, we've repackaged los cerros testigos in a beautiful envelope, and the music sounds as good as ever »buy
11/28 chonta cds available in colombia at tango/milenium if you're in colombia and you're looking for chonta records, go to your local tango record store or ask your favorite store to order through milenium »more
