IÑIGO SÁNCHEZ FUARROS
1. 08001, “Vorágine”
From: Vorágine. K Industria, 2007, compact disc.
Produced by: Julián Urigoitia and Laurent Guéneau.
“Vorágine” was the first single of 08001’s self titled second album, which consolidated the eclectic and hybrid sound the band has been celebrated for. This track draws on North-African, Indian, flamenco and electronic music influences to create a vortex-like composition that spins around a heavy beat. The lyrics reflect on the turmoil condition of contemporary life. This state of commotion is conveyed in the official music video through the editing of a series of flashing, assorted pictures in rapid succession that takes Barcelona’s multicultural district of El Raval as the background scenario.
2. Manu Chao, “Clandestino”
From: Clandestino. EMI Music Distribution / Virgin CDVIR 128, 1998, compact disc.
Performers (for the whole album): Anouk: vocals; Jef Cahours: trombone; Antoine Chao: trumpet; Manu Chao: vocals, artwork, composer, drums, producer; Renaud Letang: producer; Angelo Mancini: trumpet; Awa Touty Wade: vocals.
The release of Clandestino, the first solo album by the former frontman of the French group Mano Negra, revitalized Barcelona’s mestizo music scene at the end of the 1990s. Manu Chao and his music became a role model for a myriad of local bands that fell under the umbrella term of música mestiza (literally, hybrid music), whose sonority resulted from a combination of multiple musical influences, from rock and rumba catalana to Latin rhythms, world beats, and hip-hop, which were simultaneously a reflection and a result of Barcelona’s growing cultural diversity.
3. Ojos de Brujo, “Tiempo de soleá”
From: Barí. La Fabrica De Colores / Satélite K #KWCD 016, 2002, compact disc.
JuanLu: electric bass; Xavier Turull: percussion; Sergio Ramos: drums; DJ Panko: turntables; Ramón Giménez: flamenco guitars; Marina “la canillas” Abad: vocals; Loli: jaleos.
With over 100,000 copies sold, the self-produced second album Barí launched Ojos de Brujo beyond the confines of the local musical scene that saw the birth of this atypical musical collective: the Barcelona-based group achieved international renown in the world music scene and received the award for Best European Group at the 2004 BBC Radio 3 World Music Awards. “Tiempo de soleá” illustrates Ojos de Brujo’s innovative and distinctive sound. A sound firmly rooted in the flamenco tradition, spiced up with varied musical influences, from Latin and South Asian flavors to rock, reggae and scratching. The lyrics reflect the band’s socially conscious engagement with the tumultuous reality of post-Olympic Barcelona.