Examiner, Concert Preview >>
Erick "Santero" went to Cuba in search of dance training, and as a gift he found his life’s direction. He became a priest of the Santeria religion, a path to spirituality that united and fulfilled the needs of his experiences.
Santero was born in Guatemala, the son of a Cumbia and Salsa bandleader and a mother who followed mesa blanca, a hybrid form of spiritualism that blends Catholicism, indigenous and African elements. After many years of searching for answers - sharing with Rastafarians in New York, punks, divinity students, and delving in Buddhism and Hinduism, in Santeria Santero found “at least the right questions.”
Ever since, his goal became “to expose people to the Lukumi tradition in a non-judgmental way.” His new and second CD, entitled “El Hijo de Obatala” is a step towards that effort. The release is a mix of sounds that blend the urban beats of reggaeton and hip-hop with the more traditional sounds of Salsa by including a horn section. Perhaps the best example of such a blend is found in track 8, entitled “Baba Ade.” The CD was produced by Greg Landau, who has also engineered work for Latin talent such as Patato Valdes and Quetzal.
Santero will perform on August 2 at the Universal City Walk as part of the City Walk Summer Block Party.
City Walk Summer Block Party,
Universal City Walk, 100 Universal City Plaza
Show: 2 pm
FREE
07/22/09 >> go there
