Latin hybrid bands are all the rage today as musicians from the Caribbean and the Spanish-speaking diaspora trade musical styles and influence each other.
One of the best new bands mining this blend makes an appearance tonight at the uptown club.
From their website: “Bachaco’s music is a world-class fusion of reggae, dancehall and cumbia with styles like ska and hip hop.” The band features members from the United States, Venezuela, Jamaica, Colombia and Puerto Rico. They sing in English, Spanish and Jamaican patois.
Venezuelan brothers Edilberto Morillo (lead vocals) and Jose Morillo (bass/vocals) founded the band in 2007. The Venezuelan drummer Domingo Medina joined them shortly thereafter. The guitarist and singer Matthew Jacquette is from Jamaica and the American in the band, trumpeter and vocalist Bruce McKinnon, is of Colombian and Irish descent.
A recent New York Times story discussed the rising influence of cumbia, which is the national music of Columbia. Though their press materials suggest the band plays mostly Jamaican sounds, from what I have heard this show will be a Latin dance party. See you there!
