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We had the chance to sit down and chat with the Alma Negra Live Band, the contemporary music group that has taken the music scene by storm. They are known for their unique sound, which is a blend of live instruments and electronic beats. Their debut EP, San Jon, was recently released and we already wrote an in-depth review here, and has been well-received by critics and fans alike around the world. We sat down with the band and asked them 17 questions to find out more about their music and their story behind San Jon. So without further a due, let’s get down with the Alma Negra Live Band Q&A.
The Live Band sounds different compared to the Alma Negra Sound you hear on earlier productions. There is more space for every musician and also much more space for improvisation and solos. In that aspect, we are more like a jazz band than an electronic live set. There are so many different influences in our music. Jazz and Afro-cuban percussion ,but also Afro-beat, Disco and Fusion. Hard to describe as it doesn’t really have a label. I would say it’s FUSION music.
Definitely 🙂 It is something that can get quite spiritual. The connection, and pushing each other to the max is an amazing feeling and it gets stronger the more as you play together.
For us coming more from Djing that is something very special. I mean, as a DJ you always need the connection to the crowd that dances as it builds up. In the band, the connection between the musicians is strong and the connection to the crowd gets a different status. When everyone is connected, that is the best!
Ouuuu there are so many hahahaha. Herbie Hancock, Kassav, Fela Kuti, Irakere.
It depends. Sometimes we rehearse at our studio or at the drummers Studio. We also rent a room sometimes, before gigs,to rehearse properly.
Before a gig or when we try new songs, we rehearse seriously. But it has to be fun too. We joke around a lot 😊
We started with modular synth, drums, keys and congas, but we tried out different things and different set ups.
We later on added a guitar player, and also the percussion set is a lot bigger than before. Alberto plays congas, timbales Shakers, and additional snare drums. He is a real multi percussionist, and that is very important for our sound.
Yes definitely ! We explain to our musicians how we want the sound. So a lot of the time it’s an interaction and jam that develops the tracks. The reggae break on the track ‘Taxi Radio’ is the result from a jam for example. We also perform tracks that came out earlier as dance tracks and then play it live differently than the original.
We made a collaboration with the Cuban Singer Alcides Toirac on our last Ep Harambee. It’s a super nice experience and we want to work more with him.
We have Cabo Verdian Roots so it would be super good to connect more with the Islands Vocalists. Let’s see what the future brings ! Anyway, we are looking forward to working more in this direction.
With the live band we played at the Reeperbahnfestival in Hamburg. That was super nice! Also, an open air in our hometown Basel. In front of two to three thousand people. A totally amazing crowd!
It can be tough to tour with a whole Band. But we want the full Band experience, not just doing an electronic live set . But now, after the pandemic, we are looking forward to touring and playing much more often.
It starts with an Afro-beat track `From Mombasa To Lagos . It’s a classic Fela groove like Afrobeat. Later the Keys play a more jazzy vibe over the beat, which gives the tune a very special touch.
The Title Track `San Jon `is a 3/4 rhythm Track. San Jon is celebrating Saint John’s Day in Cabo Verde. It’s a street procession with only percussion in its original form. We made our own interpretation of ‘San Jon’ and added drums and synths and bass . We developed it in a more of a jazz and bass way without losing the original spirit.
Also we made a remix with a drum machine instead of the drums and added other variations of synths to get a more club feel. Mehmet Aslan delivers an outstanding remix from the track and made something new out of it which is nice.
‘Taxi Radio’ is an up-tempo track, percussion loaded, and reminds us of some psychedelic 70s film with its synth sound. It’s an unusual track to perform and the reggae dub break brings a nice diversion in the arrangement.
We are looking forward to announcements very soon..
We will work together with different musicians and on tracks where we collaborate with some other band members. Watch this space !
LABEL: ALMA NEGRA RECORDS
ARTIST: THE ALMA NEGRA LIVE BAND
TITLE: SAN JON EP
RELEASE DATE: 2ND SEPTEMBER
BUY LINK: https://almanegramusic.bandcamp.com/album/san-jon
A special thank you and shout-out to Sharon Andrews from Shine Publicity for making this possible. ❤️
DJ | MUSIC CURATOR & SELECTOR | PODCAST MAKER | BLOGGER Professional online interpreneur. Coffee practitioner. Electronic music culture maven. Total music guru. Infuriatingly humble problem solver. Food & sports fanatic.
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