The District’s Columbia Heights is becoming a haven for a lot of a music, art and other self-expression. And with a solid Latin foundation, Fort Knox Recordings is shining new light on a well-established sound—by way of the Empresarios. The DC-based Latin fusion band will showcase their new effort tonight at The Dunes in Columbia Heights.
And I’ll make it plain—after gyrating to the Empresarios you’ll have a novel appreciation for those perico ripiao buskers on 14th Street (if you haven’t already).
Empresarios | Bailando
The Bestia EP is the follow up to Empresario’s debut album Sabor Tropical. Bestia is a continuation of the band’s wizardry in blending funk, Caribbean and Spanish rhythms. Consider “Bailando,” a Cuban-influenced dance-pop track. The horns are relentless and the beats are revved up for those who like burn rubber on the dance floor.
It doesn’t slow down with “Cumbia Salvaje,” a sexy nod to the musical style from Colombia. In “Salvaje” the horns are downplayed some. But the track is enriched with pitched-up vocals and a playful drum loop. The song’s feverish baseline has a drone effect. It sort of infiltrates your subconscious before you realize you’re rocking back and forth.
Empresarios | Cumbia Salvaje
The Empresarios pay tribute to their forebears both recent and historically. There are no boundaries between the Fania All-Stars and old-school courtship standards. They’re like a mini-United Nation, ambassadors representing their own musical styles. In an interview I once had with John Bowen and Javier Miranda, they said their sounds are like a “bowl of soup [with] lots of flavors coming together making something delicious.”
In the world of the Empresarios, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the New World are one.
The show is this evening, and Bestia will only be released digitally, but the folks at Fort Knox Recordings are giving away Empresarios’ Sabor Tropical double vinyl LP to celebrate the new release. To enter this contest, tell us your favorite Latin musician. I’m a fan of Willie Colon and Hector Lavoe.
The winner must have a mailing address in the continental US or Canada and will be chosen one week from today, on Friday, September 23rd.
