“The Queen of the Scene”, as The Guardian calls her. Balanced between the wild impulses of the dancefloor and a warrior spirit. She is one of the most intense voices of Nu Cumbia, in an extraordinary blend of South America, where popular traditions and cutting-edge rhythms intersect. In Italy with her “Suelta Tour”, the Argentine singer-songwriter “La Yegros” stops at Dum Dum Republic on Sunday 7 July for an incredible concert at sunset, even if the arena by the sea will start vibrating and making music already at 16 pm.
“Feminine, joyful and tropical. It is a revolution to dance to – says Time Out magazine – in which cumbia, world music, electronica, chamamé and folktronica blend together in a unique and unrepeatable style”. Cumbia, above all, that becomes political conscience, with a very particular use of the voice, which recalls the ancestral tradition of South America: a surprising sound, which transmits a raw urgency while it plays.
“The big concerts of Dum Dum Republic are starting – Biancaluna Bifulco, owner of the beach club, underlines – We open with La Yegros to always pursue our passion which is world music. In our path there is a lot of musical freedom. In this case we follow rhythms of Latin origin, not commercial, very rooted in the origins, of shamanic cultural system, with cumbia originating from South America. Then we will continue with Nickodemus who is a DJ always on the wave of musical psychedelia and then we will have several surprises during the summer, including the return of our friends “Cacao Mental”, always with a view to cultural contamination which is the common feature of our event. Not mainstream, but a lot of research. La Yegros has a huge international fame that is establishing itself in Italy”.
The core of the Dum Dum vision is the collective dimension of “partying”: «Because the party is made by people, of any social class and of any age – adds Biancaluna – What we like about Dum Dum is that young people, families, adults and children meet, all together dancing, against the stereotype of local realities in which clubs and tourist-commercial facilities must be targeted by age. Those who love good music can be 15 or even 60. Being together is a great thing, crossing this generational boundary according to our philosophy is important because it means making people communicate”.
The “Queen of Nu Cumbia” has a soul divided between the romanticism of the south of France (she lives in Montpellier) and the pulsating and cosmopolitan heart of Argentina, originally from Buenos Aires. Her parents are from Misiones, a northeastern province between Brazil and Paraguay where they play chamame (a mix of polka and Guaraní music) that spills over into Colombian cumbia. These two genres, combined with Andean folklore, were then mixed with Jamaican dancehall and electronic music creating a peculiarity that only La Yegros can transmit. Raised in a suburb of the cosmopolitan capital, irrigated by the rural traditions of the country, today between France and Argentina, make her identity as composite as her music.
With his first album “Viene de Mí” he gained the attention of the major international newspapers (The Guardian, BBC, Time Out). With his second album “Magnetismo” he increased his popularity and participated in the most prestigious musical events, reaching 15 international tours in the last two years. “Suelta”, his third and final album, accelerated the fusion of musical genres that make up his personality.
Produced by legendary Argentine producer King Coya (composer of Fuerza Bruta), it traverses contemporary male-dominated cumbia, drawing on both deep folk traditions and cutting-edge rhythms.
Yegros’s sincerity is reflected in the songs on “Suelta,” of which she is the author and main composer, drawing inspiration from both intimate and social considerations, exalting the role of women: “Tenemos voz” (We have voice). She duets with British MC Soom Te and counts on trusted collaborators, including Daniel Martin, composer of “Viene de Mí,” her first hit that continues to return to international dance floors, and Argentine producer King Coya (Gaby Kerpel), who helped define La Yegros’s electro-tropical identity. The production also features two excellent new arrivals: Eduardo Cabra, half of the Puerto Rican duo Calle 13 (multiple Latin Grammy Award winners), and Dutchman Jori Collignon who fuels the global rhythm of Skip&Die.
CUMBIA and SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS
Thus, supported by a team of sound wizards, La Yegros has unleashed her great temperament in all the songs of “Suelta”. Even more so because the album also presents original colors, while continuing her exploration of Northern folklore. In addition to the carnavalito and cumbia – already present in “Magnetismo” – the rhythms of huayno and chamarrera, Colombian sounds, Andean flutes and Middle Eastern ingredients are now added, while the chamamé is transformed to conquer the dance floors of the entire world. Intoxicating atmospheres, but not only that, since the singer also transmits poignant emotions: melancholic when she talks about her origins, however she also expresses indignation and even her anger, when she addresses social issues: in particular, she calls on women to demand the respect they deserve, joining their voices with hers. Argentina and citizen of the world, La Yegros thus proves to be an artist of conviction, endowed with a sharp conscience.
EDITORIAL TEAM
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