Pan Caliente: Ondatrópica

When British DJ and Record Producer Will Holland moved to Cali, Colombia in 2006, he unfolded a chain of events that would once again illuminate some of Colombia’s great musical heritage on the world stage.

He set up a recording studio, and delivered the beyond solid Tropidélico, under The Quantic Soul Orchestra name. He then followed that up with Quantic presentaFlowering Inferno, which was also a great album and featured a variety of local musicians.

But it wasn’t until the release of Quantic y Su Combo Bárbaro, that Holland fully realized there was still a tremendous amount of rich musical history that had gone forgotten in Colombia. And luckily for anyone that loves Cumbia Colombiana and great music alike, a lot of those disregarded musicians were still around and eager to play music.

By 2012, Quantic partnered up with Mario Galeano from Frente Cumbiero and in a Buena Vista Social Club style, compiled some of the best-seasoned musicians from around Colombia. Bringing them together with a whole new generation of instrumentalists to reproduce and update the now classic and world renowned sounds established in Colombia in the 1970’s.

In all 42 musicians helped, compose, perform, and record Ondatrópica’s highly acclaimed debut which was recorded in the Abbey Road of Colombian music studios, Medellin’s own, Discos Fuentes.

Recorded entirely live and analog the self-titled debut, featured such acclaimed musicians as accordionist Anibal Velásquez, guitarist Ebis Álvarez , vocalists Markitos Mikolta & Wilson Viveros.

It’s been teased that Ondatropica has a new album set to be released in the coming months… and tomorrow, we will premiere their brand new single right here on the KCRW music blog! So come back for new music mañana.

But while you wait for tomorrows premiere, we figured you could use some tunes from their classic album to get you primed for tomorrow’s release. Guepajé!