Frente Cumbiero is not and will never be one of the most visible Colombian groups on the international scene or in the media.
On their home turf, however, things are very different: Mario Galeano, Eblis Álvarez and the other members of the ensemble have become influential standard bearers for the Colombian scene, offering a talented, modern interpretation that draws deeply on traditional folk sounds.
The group also has an impressively varied array of side projects, including:
– a collaboration with celebrated UK dub producer Mad Professor, resulting in a stunning musical mix;
– Ondatropica, in collaboration with Quantic and a whole line-up of “ancestros”, revisiting Colombian folk music in style;
– Meridian Brothers, an Eblis Álvarez solo project, in which the storytelling is as quirky as the music;
– Los Pirañas, another of the group’s side projects, combining rock, dub & psychedelic, which you could call a kind of Colombian garage.
Frente Cumbiero’s résumé is so varied that it is hard to sum it all up in just a few words.
And why should we? Let’s hope they never stop exploring!
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