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Sample Track 1:
"El Alma Y El Cuerpo" from Elegancia Tropical
Sample Track 2:
"Bailar Conmigo" from Elegancia Tropical
Layer 2
Album Review

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MTV Iggy, Album Review >>

Turn up your stereo dials: Colombia’s tasty psych-cumbia band Bomba Estéreo is back at long last with their second international release, Elegancia Tropical (Tropical Elegance), and it looks like its going to be a banger.

When I first interviewed musical mastermind Simón Mejía at the 2009 Latin Alternative Conference, he predicted that the group’s next album would focus on the currulao and marimba beats of the Colombian Pacific. Along the way, the group apparently changed gears, ending up with an album that keeps going with the Caribbean cumbia vibes while also bringing in a lot of champeta - the West African guitar music sound popular with Cartegena soundsystems – as well as a generous serving of the 4×4 electronic music that has been popping off these days everywhere in everything.

Check out our full preview of Elegancia Tropical from a few months back here.

As for the lyrics, the lovely Li Saumet spends much of the album dwelling on spiritual themes, such as on the meditative champeta jam “El Alma y El Cuerpo.” If Blow Up! was the burn-it-down party manifesto album, Elegancia feels more like an album of reflection. Of course, since we’re talking about the tropics, that reflection necessarily involves moving your body to the beat.

And guess what!? The whole thing is streamable in full on Soundcloud. Enjoy.

 11/06/12 >> go there
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