Izvorišta 453: Bejuco, Semblanzas del Río Guapi, Lido Pimienta...
This edition of Izvorišta is dedicated to three new albums from Colombia. We listen to Bejuco, Semblanzas del Río Guapi and Lido Pimienta, with a guest appearance by Nidia Góngora and a preview of some concerts in Zagreb.
Bejuco - Machete (Discos Pacífico 2025.)
'Fueled by roots, rebellion and rhythm, this isn’t just an album. It’s a sonic manifesto: raw, layered, and unapologetically Afro-Colombian.' That’s how the band Bejuco describe their second album. By blending music from Colombia’s southern Pacific region - infectious marimba melodies and traditional polyphonic singing - with hip-hop and dub rhythms, Bejuco have proven that they are one of the most exciting young groups from this musically rich country. There is something punk about their music, which makes it even more appealing to me.
Semblanzas del Río Guapi - Lindo E' (Discos Pacífico 2025.)
Cumbia del Río Guapi, a musical style originating from the Colombian Pacific coast, has something magical about it, and Semblanzas del Río Guapi is another group that proves it. The young, multi-member ensemble led by the Cortez sisters has released its second album, which once again offers a brilliant blend of vocal harmonies and percussion — especially the marimba. The modern production of the album occasionally ventures into dub and even Afrobeat realms, but overall it remains a classic cumbia album.
Lido Pimienta – La Belleza (Anti- 2025)
La Belleza is the fourth studio album by Colombian-Canadian musician Lido Pimienta. Once again, she draws inspiration from the indigenous cultures of South America, blending them with various other influences to create a completely new soundscape. Her work has long been recognised and appreciated as a powerful example of reinterpreting traditional culture and merging different influences into a cohesive story. On "La Belleza", Pimienta also draws on the tradition of 16th century Italian castrati singers, Gregorian chants and compositions by Czech composer Luboš Fišer. Although this may sound like an overwhelming mix, Pimienta has delivered another fascinating and exciting musical work. It’s not an album that will become a favourite on first listen, but with each subsequent play, it becomes harder and harder to part with.
Tracklist:
Kaito Winse - Djiligui Duni
Kaito Winse - An Kori
Naokolo - Sjene
Bejuco - Torbellino
Bejuco - Fátima
Bejuco - Diablo
Semblanzas del Río Guapi - Negro E
Semblanzas del Río Guapi - Mi Pueblo
Semblanzas del Río Guapi - Lindo E
Lido Pimienta - Ahora
Lido Pimienta - Quiero Que Me Beses
Lido Pimienta - Busca La Luz
Nidia Góngora - Mi Sabalo
Keep reading/listening:
Izvorišta 452: Ammar 808, Ganavya...
Two brilliant albums were released on 23 May and took up almost the entire show. We listened to several tracks from "Club Tounsi" by Ammar 808 and "Nilam", Ganavya’s third album in two years. The songs for the last part of the show were selected by my son, and he chose Bantu, Buzz' Ayaz, Bejuco and Elida Almeida.
Thanks, a good read. A Colombian act I enjoyed was MItu, a duo of Julián Salazar and Franklin Tejedor. I saw them live in in 2013, but when 'they' came to London recently it was with Salazar alone. I couldn't find any reference to Tejedor ever having part of the act and it all felt a bit off, so I gave it a miss. Here's the show I was at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKXSKPfPdrI