MONSALVE, RAUL Y LOS FORAJIDOS - Bichos (LP) 2020

Исполнитель: MONSALVE, RAUL Y LOS FORAJIDOS

Альбом: Bichos

Лейбл: Olindo Records

Вид носителя: LP

Дата Релиза: 16.10.2020

Состояние: Новая (запечатанная)

Штрих код: 5056321639318

Примечание: Ancestral Afro-Venezuelan rhythms meet futuristic Latin jazz, raw funk and afrobeat on Ra?l Monsalve y Los Forajidos' Venezuelan bassist Ra?l Monsalve leads an all-star ensemble of musical trailblazers including "the voice of Venezuela" Betsayda Machado, singer Luzmira Zerpa (Family Atlantica) and drummer Dave De Rose (Agile Experiments, Moloko, Mark Ronson). First in Venezuela, Monsalve played with a number of bands before forming the first incarnation of his Forajidos band, and self-releasing two increasingly popular albums. A move to Paris, via London, led to opportunities to share stages with a vast array of musical giants, not least of all the legendary Nigerian saxophonist Orlando Julius, as well as the Heliocentrics, Venezuelan master percussionist Orlando Poleo and members of Fela Kuti's Afrika 70. Meanwhile a new line-up of Forajidos toured Europe, celebrating the release of a sought-after 7" on Olindo. Since then, he has recorded and received critical acclaim with Paris-based Venezuelan avant-folk group, Ins?lito UniVerso (supported by Gilles Peterson, Gideon Coe, Songlines, The Wire, Vinyl Factory, Tiny Mixtapes, Bandcamp Weekly, Sounds & Colours, Noisey), whilst slowly putting together the pieces that would make up this new Forajidos album. With producer/engineer/drummer Malcolm Catto (Heliocentrics, Quantic, Yussef Kamaal) behind the recording and mixing desk, Raul brought together a like-minded cast of friends from Venezuela, Paris and London, to help him create a fresh sound, capturing the essence of both the African and indigenous roots of Venezuelan music, and the forward-looking sounds of afrobeat, gritty Latin jazz and experimental electronic music. The album uses a variety of animals, such as the mosquito, butterfly, pig, snake, rooster and flea, to represent a wide range of human qualities, like greed, hate, love & compassion, and their impact on Venezuelan and worldwide corruption & division, the strengths of friendship, family, collaboration, rebellion and survival. The ancient to future direction of Raul's music is best captured on album opener "Malembe", featuring Venezuelan folk group Vasallos del sol chanting over a razortooth synth bass, and "La mariposa" (the butterfly), featuring singer Lya Bonilla. The Afro-Venezuelan 'sangueo', a traditional invocation to dance in celebration of Saint John the Baptist, is given a brand new funk. The polyrhythmic quitipl?s percussion of Monsalve's home country, created by hammering the ground with various lengths of bamboo tubes in a particular manner, compliments the afrobeat-feel of "Boc?n", where Family Atlantica's Luzmira Zerpa leads the call-and-response. Acclaimed singer, Betsayda Machado, is magnificent on the Afro Venezuelan funk of "Mosquito", attacking the "blood-sucking" politicians afflicting populations across the world, but particularly in Venezuela. Closing the record, "Pa' los maestros" is a funked-up cha-cha groove dedicated to the maestros, or masters, of Afro-Latin culture and music. "Bichos" is not only a superb introduction to Ra?l Monsalve, but also to a swathe of incredible musicians you might still be unfamiliar with.