La Chiva Gantiva – Vivo
(Crammed Discs)
CD/DL
Out Now
La Chiva Gantiva release their second album described as a mix of
Afro-Colombian, rock and funk.
I like a bit of Afrobeat. I
find it an incredibly underrated musical genre, full of life and passion that
you rarely seem to get in any other musical source. What is quite astonishing is its influence on
other types of music right down to mainstream stuff pumping out on your radio
on an hourly basis. What is particularly
intriguing is when it appears on albums like the new one by La Chiva Gantiva.
Originally three Columbians based in Brussels, they now have members
from Belgium, France and Vietnam completing the line-up and the end result is
something rather special. I’ve rarely
heard such an explosive album since the release of the amazing Fly On It by The
Apples where carnival punk meets funk meets Latin meets rock, etc..etc..etc..
Frenetic percussion blends with traditional Caribbean instruments
and vocals which somehow manage to keep from tangling themselves together. Influences from Fela Kuti to Red Hot Chili
Peppers, from James Brown to Rage Against The Machine are all too evident. It’s a bewildering prospect but one that
really works.
Title track Vivo gives you a taste of what’s on offer. Less than three minutes long but packed with
power and passion and some quite amazing instrumentation.
French spoken track Pigeon has some ripping guitars and lyrically
tries to break down European stereotypes between themselves and their Latino
counterparts. Funky party time with El
Pollo (avian obsessed?!) where a heavily percussive track with added saxophone
and clarinet tells of a man always complaining but never changing.
Aside from some cracking rhythms, there are also clearly some well
worked lyrics here, albeit the majority are in Spanish, but the whole feel of the
album is quite superb. Not only a feel
good album but also one of twelve brilliant tracks just bursting out waiting to
be heard.
9/10
Links
Published on Louder Than War 22/02/14 - here
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