The singing percussionist trio of La Perla represents Colombian Caribbean culture with a unique and innovative formula. The group are bullerengue, cumbia, merengue, gaita and creole champeta, they are deep voices and drums played with a powerful attitude.
Raúl Monsalve y Los Forajidos bring a blazing mix of ancestral Afro-Venezuelan rhythms with futuristic Latin jazz, raw funk and Afrobeat led by the master Venezuelan bassist Raúl Monsalve and crack-squad of players from the Paris scene.
Also on the bill Sonido Tupinamba joins from Barcelona inspired by the selvatic and hypnotic roots of African and Latin American music, she mixes her tropical influences with disco, funk and house grooves. Her sessions are eclectic and vibrant, transporting the audience into different eras and places.
LA PERLA
La Perla, came together in 2014 to compete in the national Bagpipes Festival in Ovejo, from which they walked away with the first prize and a determination to continue as a band. The three Bogatanas have travelled the rural regions of Caribbean Colombia investigating the musical languages of bullerengue, cumbia, merengue, gaita, and kreyol champeta, learning and incorporating them into their own songs, while lyrically highlighting their social concerns, calling out political chicanery, racial injustice and sexual discrimination. Their 2017 debut EP, Paren La Bulla (Stop the Noise), and Netflix’s use of the track, Bruja (Witch), in their drama series, Always a Witch, brought them international attention and touring opportunities in the Americas and Europe with a lot of success.
During the pandemia, La Perla made various succesfull collabs with international artists (Nubya Garcia, Mexican Institute of Sound, Chinese Man records.. ) , and cooked their long-awaited 1st Lp , scheduled to be released for spring 2022 !
MONSALVE Y LOS FORAJIDOS
For their most recent album on Olindo Records ‘Bichos’ 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. As a band they have been gaining an international reputation for some years and have set alight the stages of many festivals and venues around the world with their dynamic show.
Raúl Monsalve has dedicated much of his life to understanding and learning traditional Afro-Venezuelan music, and studying under some of its greatest proponents among the percussionists of his home country, whilst at the same time taking as much interest in the sounds emanating from the fearless edges of jazz, rock, African and early electronic music.
The album “Bichos” is not only a superb introduction to Raúl Monsalve, but also to a swathe of incredible musicians you might still be unfamiliar with. It’s also a brilliant window into the rich musical seam of Venezuelan music, and an excellent look at how it might interconnect with wider musical parallels.
TUPINAMBA
Born in the Argentinian Andes, Sonido Tupinamba got her start DJing at just 16 years old in her hometown, Mendoza. At the time she was one of the few female artists behind the turntables and she now travels the world DJing, curating and hosting radio shows.
In 2007 Sonido Tupinamba relocated to Barcelona and started DJing various venues, clubs and cultural centers becoming one of the most in-demand DJs in the city. She eventually went on to found Barcelona’s finest Afro-Tropical night, Poly-Rythmo Club; become the resident DJ at the disco-funk temple, Glove Party; and a member of the She Said So community for gender equality in the music industry.
Inspired by the selvatic and hypnotic roots of African and Latin American music, Tupinamba mixes her tropical influences with disco, funk and house grooves. Her sessions are eclectic and vibrant, transporting the audience into different eras and places. She creates the ideal soundtrack for every moment and the perfect mood for the dance floor. Her sets are always bright and festive, whether the sounds take you to an idyllic sunset at the beach, a night out in the city or a wild safari in the jungle.
Throughout her career she has performed at international festivals such as Glastonbury (UK), WOMAD (UK and Spain), Pohoda (Slovakia), BUE (Argentina), Plai (Rumania), Soundeat, Mutek and Primavera Sound (Spain). Her sets have also shaken dance floors in music temples such as Pikes (Ibiza), Nitsa (Barcelona), Bar Caracol (São Paulo), Noche Negra and Terminal Club (México City).