Music

Bloque & Malalma
20h | Riverside Studios

Bloque (featuring the legendary producer Iván Benavides) takes to the stage with the electro-afro-funk sounds of Malalma in a UK première of Electrocumbé, Colombia’s modern answer to the legacy of Brazil’s Tropicália.

This is Fela Kuti,
this is James Brown,
this is Cumbia …
this is the new sound of Colombia!

About Electrocumbé

Every once in a while a rupture occurs in our collective culture and something new and important rises to the surface, ready for the world to take notice. In the late 1950’s it was fresh-faced film critics turned directors of the French New Wave. In the late 1960’s it was Brazil’s turn as Gilberto Gil and a handful of artists were responsible for Tropicália. And now, as we approach the second decade of a new millennium, it is Colombia’s turn to take center stage in the world theatre: Electrocumbé.

After spending eight successful years working as a producer in New York and touring America with his band Bloque to great critical acclaim, Iván Benavides decided it was time to return to Bogotá to see what was happening in his home country. When he arrived he noticed that things had changed, the big band sounds of Cumbia and the traditional folk sounds of the Gaiteros were being fused with electronic music. And what’s more, a new generation of musicians were emerging who had grown up with MTV, myspace.com and house music. They were ready to do things differently, in fact they already were. Benavides gave this moment a name, Electrocumbé, and a collective was born.

‘We are looking for a place with diversity around culture. A place in the world where we are normal,’ he said recently. ‘Not an exotic culture of the past or a vital culture of the periphery. Electrocumbé is not a political movement; it is a celebration of culture.’

Amongst the bands featured are Benavide’s Bloque, but also new bands like the Gaitero and Cumbia inspired Pernett. There is also the British invasion guitar sound of Sicótrpico, a band from Baranquilla on the Caribbean coast that is keen to show that with a guitar, a bass and drums you can say as much about Colombia and the world as a sixteen-piece salsa ensemble. Also included are the funky sounds of Malama, a seven-piece band whose flamboyant shows are only outmatched by the quality and energy of their sound. Electrocumbé claims as their patron saints traditional Colombian musicians like Lucho Bermudez, Alejo Duran, Joe Arroyo and the Gaiteros de San Jacinto. But they are also inspired by their coastal African roots and the rhythms of Fela Kuti, Caeteno Veloso, Hector Laude and even James Brown.

For a movement that claims to not be political, Electrocumbé’s togetherness and collective feeling of optimism is a good metaphor for where Colombia is at today. Or, as Benavides succinctly states, ‘Right now, we are ready.’

About Bloque

‘The best new rock band in the planet.’ Gregg Kott, Rolling Stone

‘A powerful transcultural connection.’ Washington Post

Iván Benavides is one of the most influential musicians in Colombia. In 1998 his band Bloque signed with David Byrne and his label Luaka-Bop. Since then they have been on several world tours while their music has found critical acclaim in the US and Europe. Benavides is also well known for his work as part of the acoustic duo Ivan y Lucia, as well as collaborating with the much-loved Vallenato star Carlos Vives. Last year Benavides sat in Simon Cowell’s chair and participated as a judge on the TV program Popstar in Colombia. More recently he has been working on a new album for Bloque as well as promoting and supporting the young musicians of Electrocumbé, Colombia’s next generation.

About Malalma

Malalma is an eclectic, innovative band from Bucaramanga, Colombia’s ‘pretty city’ in the Santander region. Malama are known as the ‘space cowboys’ of Bogotá but their home city, Bucaramanga, is known for its beautiful parks, its many churches and its “hormigas culonas”, large flying ants, a true delicacy for Colombians from this region. Colourful and theatrical in their sound and show, Malama combines rock and afro-funk – something akin to George Clinton covering Fela Kuti on stage in Colombia, something that truly makes you get up to dance. In 2005 Malama won the prestigious prize in the contest Omnilive and recorded their first album in 2006. They currently live in Bogotá and are working on their second album.
Malama on MySpace

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