Soaring guitar riffs isn’t usually what you expect when you think of an urban-style EP but that is precisely Imperio Bamba’s point. Showcasing a diverse range of styles, from salsa to electronica, Imperio Bamba bring the variety of Latin American music to their experimental work.
With their new EP, Mis Cosas Favoritas, features heavy guitar and 80s style sweeping synths with more traditional choral singing, building continuously to catchy choruses, Imperio Bamba aim to demonstrate immigrant stories through their lyrics and, through their mix of electronic and traditional instruments create an unparalleled, engulfing sound.
What this EP feels like is late night at a festival; you have stumbled into a random tent and found a crowd having the time of their lives in the heat of summer, with Imperio Bamba chanting and dancing at the front. It is unexpected but brilliant.
The Santana-style climbing guitar riffs from Pervuvian lead guitarist Jules Drade, with the influx of drums in tracks such as Camino showcase the richness of their sound – the psychedelic beats traversing from ear to ear and then coming all together for powerful, heavy choruses that will have everyone dancing.
The talent is undeniable: Jules, also the main songwriter and producer, is accompanied by Chilean guiro player and singer Javiera Limari, Peruvian percussionist Kieffer Santander, Chilean bassist Yuri Betancourt and Argentine Titi Damasso, on synth and guitar. Their guitar and vocals constantly shift tones, moving from sombre to suddenly sweaty tracks, proving the whole EP to be a heated journey.
My Favourite Things puts a samba-twist on the well-known musical track, creating a sunny and fast-paced remix that samples Afro-Peruvian beats and dembow. Though, as the name suggests, Summer encapsulates the whole mood of the EP – heat and fun through music and dance.
This seems to be the message of Imperio Bamba themselves, their moto being “find the place and space where your body and mind feel free” which expresses why freedom of movement is so essential for everyone. With the male and female vocals, the tracks sound like conversations which sometimes can take romantic turns, seen in the passion and intensity of the track Los Amantes, inspired by a poem of Julio Cortazar.
Though the vocals also harmonise to create a layered, rich sound in the track Imperio Bamba which includes tropical nature sounds to transport the listener somewhere other than North London, which is where Imperio Bamba themselves started.
With the genre-defying tracks, Mis Cosas Favoritas is an interesting, electrifying and unusual EP. With their experimental sound and raw vocals, Imperio Bamba provide a positive and energetic journey that can transport us all to summer
