“After releasing their acclaimed self-titled album, the East Los Angeles- based urban cumbia band Viento Callejero is back this spring with five new singles – “La Suegra”, “Me Vas A Matar”,“Hipnotica”, “Ya Basta” and “Supernova”. Featuring Colombian and Afro-Latin rhythms mixed with funk and electronica influences, the band’s new songs take the listener on an aural trip through Los Angeles’ urban and natural landscapes.
Viento Callejero represents the newest incarnation of the Latin music movement in the United States. The group breaks down the rhythmic and melodic pulse of cumbia and fuses it with electronic, experimental, and psychedelic soundscapes. Composed of multi-instrumentalists and producers Gloria Estrada and Tony Sauza, the talented duo weaves sonic complexity and psychedelic vibes using Afro-Latin and Colombian cumbia rhythms.
Rounding out the combo on percussion is Afro-Colombian master drummer, Eduardo Martinez. Martinez has become a staple among the World Music scene in Los Angeles and represents a heritage that dates back several centuries. Re-mixing and re-interpreting classic cumbias in dance halls all over the world, the band has become pioneers of a new cumbia genre.
“La Suegra” is a hip-swaying vallenato that transports you to a backyard family party. The upbeat accordion interweaves and plays with the cheeky lyrics the way a romance does behind an old-fashioned mother-in-law. Viento Callejero teamed up on this track with producer Quetzal Flores of the Grammy-winning band Quetzal along with Grammy-winning mixing and mastering engineer Robert Carranza (Los Lobos, Jack Johnson, Beck, Mars Volta).
“Me Vas a Matar” is an ode to the Latinx femme-fatale. Bold and sensuous, the lyrics emphasize femininity, its beauty, and above all, its unequivocal strength. This electronic, bass-heavy funky rock cumbia will have you feeling yourself and your dance partner. This single was self-produced by Viento Callejero members Tony Sauza and Gloria Estrada and features guest percussionist Eduardo Martinez.
“Hipnotica” delivers a psychedelic dub cumbia that takes the listener on a dreamy journey of hypnotic soundscapes. This trance- induced improvisational trip feels like taking a ride on Saturn’s rings. The synth bass frequencies and electric guitar are the passengers to the accordion’s colorful expedition. The music video, directed by multimedia artist Carla Zarate of SolArt Radio, is a visual burst of cascading imagery.
“Ya Basta” has a post-apocalyptic intensity both sonically and in its social commentary about police brutality. Layers of tension continuously build with Afro-Colombian rhythms, overdriven fuzz guitar, dark accordion melodies, growling synths, and distorted lo-fi vocals creating a ceaseless restlessness. The accompanying music video, created by Chris Avalos of Steinwreck Studio, takes it up a notch with its disturbing scenes of war, fascism, and death.
“Supernova” takes us into a new dimension with its atmospheric yet danceable sound that feels like traveling through space and time. There is plenty of sonic buildup and tension, while the guitar takes the celestial wheel mirroring lyrics of love and attraction. The track is produced by Grammy winning Quetzal Flores of the band Quetzal and Mixed & Mastered by Grammy winning Robert Carranza (Los Lobos, Jack Johnson, Beck, Mars Volta).
Viento Callejero’s “Supernova” music video tells the mythical and surreal story of a young woman who is thrust on an epic adventure and battles to save her lover from the ruthless grip of drug addiction in the Land of the Dead.
This music video is the first effort from FOUR ROADS, a collaborative artist-run production company led by Akira Boch, Francisco Hernandez, Kinan Valdez, and Anahuac Valdez.The filmmakers combine old school special effects and modern computer techniques to create a striking visual style that takes the viewer on a psychedelic journey through the many strange worlds that make up the Land of the Dead.