La Sonora Mazurén is the latest addition to the already rich indie-tropical scene out of Bogotá, Colombia. Deeply rooted in the popular sounds and rhythms of South America, the group draws from cumbia, chicha, guaracha, champeta and other styles mostly from Ecuador, Colombia and Peru.

Far from being folklorists or revivalists, La Sonora Mazurén combines synthesizers and electric guitars with accordion and percussion to create a futuristic style indebted to early pioneers such as Polibio Mayorga or Bogota’s own Eblis Alvarez, of Meridian Brothers fame, who also produced their debut album. The result is a psychedelic feast reminiscent of the golden years of Tropicalia.

Franz Mesmer and his theory of animal magnetism provide the running theme for their new album. A collection of songs linked by the idea of a shared trance-inducing energy, channeled through rhythms and sound experiments. Musical inspiration for the album come from Colombian gaita, vallenato and cumbia, Peruvian huayno and chicha, Ecuadorian Sanjuanitos – a panoply of Afro-Andean traditions filtered through a futuristic vision of dance music that melds percussion-heavy polyrhythms and psychedelic sounds.

Featuring artists Juan David Lacorazza (guitar), Luis Lizarralde (drums), Iván Medellín (keyboards, accordion, vocals), Giovanna Mogollón (percussion, vocals), Miguel Ángel Rodriguez Rebolledo (percussion, vocals), and Diana Sanmiguel (percussion, vocals).

Their new album, Magnetismo Animal, will be available in September of 2024 on Barbès Records.

Deejay Theory holds court for the second half of the night, tracking some interstitial magic between Latin, Afro House, Moombahtonm, and other global dance genres.

Presented in collaboration with Laudable Productions, Lighthouse Holyoke, and Secret Planet