by Various
Like a Colombian Buena Vista Social Club, Ondatropica features greats from the golden age of Medellín's Discos Fuentes such as Fruko, Anibal Velasquez, Michi Sarmiento, Alfredito Linares as well as a new generation of la musica Colombiana enthusiasts led by Will 'Quantic' Holland and Frente Cumbeiro band leader Mairo Galeano.
The project, conceived by Colombian musician Mario Galeano, the force behind the band Frente Cumbiero, and English producer Will Holland AKA Quantic, brings together an iconic group of top Colombian musicians representing both the classic and more modern styles of la musica Colombiana. The album will be released on CD and 3xLP along with a limited edition, case bound double CD featuring bonus tracks and a 40 page booklet.
Ondatropica fuses traditional Colombian styles such as cumbia, gaita and champeta with boogaloo, ska, beat-box, MCs, dub and funk to create a progressive album that re-interprets the tropical musical heritage of Colombia with new approaches in composition, arrangement and production. Artists such as Fruko, Anibal Velasquez, Michi Sarmiento, Alfredito Linares and Wilson Viveros (to name a few) joined a group of younger Colombian musicians, including members of both Mario’s band Frente Cumbeiro and Quantic’s Combo Barbaro, to (re)generate the excitement that positioned Colombian music as one of the most influential in South America.
Soundway’s exploration into Colombian music began in 2007 with it’s much acclaimed compilation Colombia! The Golden Age of Discos Fuentes- The Powerhouse of Colombian Music 1960-76 which features many original works from the above-mentioned artists. Supported by the British Council, Ondatropica came together over 3 weeks in January 2012 in the legendary Discos Fuentes studios in Medellín, featuring performances from 42 musicians recorded by celebrated engineer, Mario Rincon, who is responsible for some of Discos Fuentes' best recordings of the 1970s.
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