¡ESSO! Afrojam Funkbeat – Juntos (2017)
Juntos is the new album by a Chicago-based collective with rotating members named ¡ESSO! (El Sonido Sonic Octopus). The band’s sound crosses numerous musical boundaries. It’s a superb mix of Afro-Latin, funk, rock, jazz, Afrobeat, pop, reggaeton, ska, cumbia, and more.
The band features seductive rhythms and a creative brass section. On the vocals side ¡ESSO! features lead and background vocals in Spanish. There is also some less interesting, tired rapping thrown in.
The members of ¡ESSO! Afrojam Funkbeat are committed to social justice, performing for grassroots community organizations that support after-school, immigrant justice, and fair housing programs throughout Chicago and Illinois.
Personnel: Armando Pérez on guitar, bass, keyboards and vocals; Kevin Miller on saxophone; Dan Lieber on drums and percussion; Ezra Lange on bass; Diana Mosquera on vocals; Lessic Franko on percussion; Jess Anzaldúa on percussion; and Matthew Davis on trombone. Juntos also includes various guests.
Buy the digital download version of Juntos. The CD is available from cdbaby.com
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
