Superfónicos Release New Single “La Semilla”

Superfónicos, the Austin-based ensemble known for their mix of Colombian funk, cumbia, and Afrobeat, has released their latest single, “La Semilla” (The Seed). This track sets the stage for their debut album, Renaceré, due for release on July 19, 2024, through Spaceflight Records. The album explores themes of rebirth, resilience, and life’s cyclical nature, rooted in their Colombian heritage and influenced by African and American sounds.

Bassist and backing vocalist Nicolás Sanchez Castro describes “La Semilla” as a metaphor for rebirth, emphasizing the importance of nurturing the wisdom passed down by ancestors. The single is now available on all streaming platforms.

Renaceré encapsulates the band’s experiences over the past four years, marked by global upheaval and personal growth. Lead vocalist and gaita player Jaime Ospina calls it a celebration of human resilience, reflecting on the challenges and triumphs faced during this period.

The debut album was first announced with the single “El Adios,” co-produced with Jim Eno of Spoon and released in mid-2020. This track, inspired by the Central American migrant caravan, addresses immigration themes and draws from Nicolás’s personal reflections on his father’s immigration story.

The pandemic not only reshaped the world but also brought new life to the band, with four members welcoming babies. This inspired the song “Primera Luz” (First Light), which speaks to emerging from challenging times with a renewed perspective. Nicolás, inspired by his daughter Lucia’s birth on New Year’s Day 2021, wrote the song as a message of hope.

The album’s recording process began before the COVID-19 lockdowns and concluded in early 2024. Superfónicos primarily recorded at Lechehouse Music with longtime collaborator Beto Martinez, capturing the nuances of their unique instruments like the gaita flute and tambor alegre. Additional recordings took place at Public Hi-Fi with Jim Eno and at Electric Deluxe with Aaron Glemboski.

Renaceré celebrates a wide range of influences, from Caribbean music to African beats. The band worked with Martinez to authentically capture the sounds of Colombia’s Caribbean coastal region, incorporating traditional instruments and exploring new sonic boundaries.

The album features diverse tracks such as “Bogota Boogaloo,” a tribute to Bogotá, “La Verdad,” a psychedelic cumbia fable, “Lunetta,” a fusion of Jamaican dub and Colombian porro, and the title track “Renaceré,” an anthem celebrating perseverance and life’s cyclical nature. Superfónicos emphasizes that embracing love leads to continuous rebirth, much like a tree bearing fruit for the next generation.

Ospina points out, “To see how the grass dies during the summer because of the heat and then grows again with the spring rain. It’s been fascinating to me; to be a witness of how death is never definitive and there’s always life after. We are always as living beings in a constant process of dying and rebirthing; life just like music goes always in cycles, in loops.” Superfónicos adds, “For us, the songs are like seeds that we sow. Our hope is that they germinate inside our listeners, grow and take on a new life and continue the cycle.”