Billboard Profiles The Batalla De Los Gallos International Final in Madrid

Read the article HERE

“The 24-hour sold-out international finals in Madrid, saw the 16 freestylers diligently endure a heavy two-week competition leaning on their creative psyche while staying away from internal criticism and overall censorship in order to flow artistically in front of a 17,000-scrum in attendance and a livestream of over 2 million people.”

XENIA RUBINOS RELEASES DOUBLE SINGLE “DIOSA VS BUGEISHA”

“Xenia Rubinos deals in unexpected twists: grooves that turn themselves inside out, melodies that take sudden left turns, verbal zingers delivered with a sly flourish … she can make social consciousness sensual” – The New York Times


Innovative musician Xenia Rubinos is releasing the double single “DIOSA” vs “BUGEISHA” today, two new songs that emit a confident female energy. Her first new music since the 2016 release of her critically acclaimed sophomore album Black Terry Cat, watch the colorful and lively new video for “DIOSA” HERE and listen to the sparse yet powerful “BUGEISHA” HERE.

“These tracks mark a different language for me and are both more electronic and aggressive than my previous work,” Xenia explained. “They are both anthems of female ferocity and power. I thought that was the perfect energy to lead into 2020 with.”

“‘DIOSA’ is a track I’d had in mind for a long time,” she continued. “The hook is what I envisioned myself chanting to a friend or a woman I admired to encourage her to keep going and to feel in her power. Diosa (goddess), Reina (queen), Chula (hottie), Bella (beautiful) - I envisioned women getting ready, looking themselves in the mirror, dancing solo in their rooms- it’s an anthem to hype yourself up and start something.”

Two sides of a coin, DIOSA means goddess while BUGEISHA means warrior. “BUGEISHA” is inspired by the Onna Bugeisha, which were female fighters in Japanese culture who often took the place of their male counterparts. My track is inspired by the tale of onna bugeisha Nayako Takeko,” Xenia said. “I was so struck by her story and the portrait I found of her. It felt incredibly raw and powerful. I decided to keep the vocals sparse and try to evoke this kind of hypnotic, trance like moment when she is at the top of a hill about to go into battle and imagining herself succeeding. She is rooted like a tree and she has no fear, she feels a rush of adrenaline, a thrill at the sight of her enemy and a rush of power and trust in herself and in the honor of her family. Not even death could stop her from being fierce and powerful.”

Xenia Rubinos dips in and out of genre and structure to create movingly powerful songs. Her powerhouse vocals stem from a combination of R&B, Hip-Hop and Jazz influences, all delivered with a soulful punk aura. Pitchfork has lauded the radiant singer as “a unique new pop personality” while The New Yorker described her work as “rhythmically fierce, vocally generous music that slips through the net of any known genre.”


“Xenia Rubinos juega con lo inesperado: ritmos que se dan vuelta de adentro hacia afuera, melodías que cambian de repente, puntadas repartidas arteramente… ella se hace la consciencia social sensual. – The New York Times


La artista innovadora Xenia Rubinos hoy lanza su doble-sencillo “DIOSA” vs “BUGEISHA”, dos canciones nuevas que transmiten una potente energía femenina. Son las primeras canciones que ella saca desde 2016, cuando lanzó su aclamado disco Black Terry Cat, vea el vibrante nuevo video para “DIOSA” AQUI y escucha la poderosa “BUGEISHA” AQUI.

“Estas canciones significan una nueva dirección para mi y las son más electrónicas y agresivas que mi música anterior,” explica Xenia. “Son himnos de la ferocidad y el poder femenino. Pensé que era la energía perfecta para llevarnos hasta 2020.”

“‘DIOSA’ es una canción que tenía en mente ya hace mucho tiempo,” ella continúa. “El estribillo es lo que imaginé cantando a una amiga o una mujer que admiraba para alentarla a seguir adelante y sentir su poder. Diosa, Reina, Chula, Bella- imaginaba mujeres vistiéndose, mirándose en el espejo, bailando solas en sus cuartos- es un himno para animarse y empezar algo”

Dos lados de la misma moneda, BUGEISHA por otro lado significa ‘guerrera.’ “BUGEISHA” fue inspirado por las Onna Bugeisha, que son las luchadoras en la cultura Japonés que frecuentemente tomó el lugar de los hombres. “Este track se inspiró en la historia de una Onna Bugeisha Nayako Takeko,” dice Xenia. “Me afectó mucho su historia y un retrato de ella que encontré. Sintió súper real y potente. Decidí dejar los vocales dispersos para suscitar ese momento realmente hipnótico cuando ella estaba en la cima de un cerro, a punto de ir a la batalla, imaginando su victoria. Está ahí enraizada como un árbol y no tiene ni una gota de miedo- se siente una descarga de adrenalina, una emoción al ver a su enemigo y confianza en sí misma y el honor de su familia. Ni siquiera la muerte podría dejarla de ser feroz y poderosa.”

Xenia Rubinos juega con género y estructura para crear canciones emotivas y potentes. Sus vocales viene de una combinación de R&B, Hip-Hop e influencias Jazz, todo repartido con una onda punk-soul. Pitchfork había elogiado la cantante como “una personalidad única del nuevo Pop” mientras el New Yorker describió su trabajo como “ música que es feroz rítmicamente, generosa vocalmente, y que evade cualquier clasificación de género.”





XENIA RUBINOS
https://xeniarubinos.net
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Inner Wave Plays Tropicalia Sunday 11/10!

The LA Times called them “a promising, needed voice on the local indie rock scene,” and they were not wrong.

Inner Wave, the lo-fi psych pop quintet of best friends from Inglewood plays Tropicalia Festival Sunday November 10 at 12:35!

The five-piece has been playing music together since they were 13-years old. Hailing from the South-LA neighborhood of Inglewood (usually famed for its hip hop roots), Inner Wave has constructed a unique sound that branches into lo-fi psychedelia, while holding fast to its roots.

After their breakout record, Sun Transmission, the band became a city staple. They’ve since toured with bands like Hot Flash Heat Wave and Triathalon, eventually selling out classic venues like the El Rey and The Fonda (check out their live video of their homecoming-themed Fonda show!). This will be their THIRD Tropicalia, and it’s bound to be a lovely show :)

The band released their latest EP, wya, this last May and are gearing up for an especially exciting 2020.

Afrosideral Releases Olimpo De Los Orishas via Wonderwheel

Afrosideral Releases Olimpo De Los Orishas, an Afro-Electronic Tribute to the Yoruban Tradition

The album is Afrosideral’s first major release, out today on
Wonderwheel Recordings.

“Afrosideral is showing that there is much to be explored when uniting Afro-Cuban instrumentation and traditions with electronic beats, heightening the tribality of the rhythm and the presence of the vocals” - Sounds and Colours

Afrosideral is Cuban producer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Kumar Sublevao-Beat, who boasts a career of over 20 years. The project is the result of what he calls the Afrocuban Electronic Ensemble, which blends afrocuban sounds and rhythms with melodies inspired by the Yoruban people, all woven together with electronic threads and dub sensibilities. 
 

El Olimpo De Los Orishas, his first major release with the project, is a chant to the universe from the ancestor's voice. The rhythms of the drum, trance & meditation converge into a record that samples & modulates the musical DNA of Kumar's heritage.
 

Kumar, MC and musical producer, began his career in the hip hop movement in Havana, Cuba, at the end of the 90s and rose to popularity after being a part of the group featured in the classic film Habana Blues. Now based in Europe, he’s since been involved in a number of projects that have taken him to stages across the globe including Berlin’s Fusion Festival and the Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. He’s become renowned for his absolutely magnetic stage presence, exuding light like that of a mystic while simultaneously making it impossible not to dance. 
 

Afrosideral’s hearty combination of influences and musical stylings comes together gorgeously on El Olimpo De Los Orishas, an album as danceable as it is hypnotic. Produced by Kumar himself and co-produced by Nickodemus + Zeb of Spy From Cairo, the album features an array of insanely talented musicians- Ariel Brínguez, Martín Meléndez, Jurandir Santana, Dreiser Durruthy, Sexto Sentido, Doctor Matanza y Arema Arega. The album’s recently-released second single, “Filho Do Mar”, is a journey across the oceans that joined Africa and the new world- its children, who were made slaves, carrying with them the wisdom, songs, and beliefs of their ancestors, blending into the narratives of countries like Brazil and Cuba. The song is a tribute to Yemayá, the Yoruban goddess of the sea, and blends elements of Capoeira and afro-brazilian instruments. “Filho Do Mar” is a sweet look into the rest of the album, which explores embodies the massive influence that the Yoruban tradition has on the world and the way we see it through the wildly diverse sounds that have been influenced by it. 
 

Olimpo De Los Orishas is out now on Wonderwheel Recordings. 

Quitapenas Has A New Album Out!

Quitapenas Releases Tigrada- An Album That Will Wake Up The Masses, Dancing

 Tigrada is out now via Cosmica


"At the heart of the group is a tropical Afro-Latin combo, brewed under the warm California sun with a certain liberation in their sound as summed up in the meaning of their name: Quita (remove) Penas (worries)" -Wax Poetics

Quitapenas, a band that forms a crucial part of Southern California's chorus, releases their album Tigrada today via Cósmica Records. In true form, the album embraces influences through space and time- from Puerto Rican Bomba to Garifuna Punta. The album's sound is coupled with the weight of its lyrics which, this time around, are fearless to confront the times we're living in. Many of them written years ago, it's shocking how relevant they still are. You have a track like La Educación, which preaches 'la educación es el arma del pueblo,' claiming that education is a right not to be taken lightly. And you have songs like El Dino, which look back on the mass shooting in San Bernardino in 2015, simply asking the shooter, 'por que te enojas,'- a song that is both specific and (unfortunately) timeless given the state of the country at this moment. The album, deepening the sound audiences have grown to love over the years, is fearless in its subject matter, and deliriously vulnerable.

The energy of Quitapenas is undeniable. A staple in their hometown, their sound and stage presence has catapulted them onto stages across the country, including Grand Park and Coachella. Their sound echoes the radical music of the 60's and 70s, while sonically collaging influences from Angola, Peru, Colombia, Brazil, and beyond. It's urban Tropicalia without restraint.


Quitapenas grew, and continues to grow, with the unrelenting help of their community, which is something they don't take lightly. Their songs often speak on the realities of the world they come from, which are often those difficult conversations we often try to avoid. Tigrada is just that- a fierce-yet-joyful confrontation of the state of our world today- a look at all of the missing pieces and a refreshing tool for us to collectively fill in the gaps.

Tigrada is out today on Cosmica Records.

Quitapenas
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https://quitapenas.bandcamp.com/

Selena For Sanctuary Hits Central Park's SummerStage August 8!

Now, more than ever, we need each other- we need the music, we need to elevate communities that are otherwise overlooked, we need to hold onto our precious safe spaces, and create them where they’re being threatened. Enter: Solidarity for Sanctuary- an organization that started as a series of benefit concerts in 2017 put together by artist manager and activist Doris Muñoz. In the throws of the experience herself, Muñoz started Sanctuary out of a need to gather resources to support the often difficult and prohibitive immigration process. Sanctuary does this through celebration- by elevating the art of immigrants and, as a result, raising awareness about the immigrant experience. 
 

Selena for Sanctuary is a series put together by Solidarity for Sanctuary. It brings immigrants and allies together and raises the voices of Latinx artists via a tribute to Selena- the incredible Mexican-American popstar who shattered stereotypes and shifted pop culture as we know it. Starting at the Hi Hat in Los Angeles with a capacity of 300 people, the event has grown exponentially and jumped to New York’s Lincoln Center last Summer. The event series has raised over $14,000 for organizations like Carecen and Amnesty International and has seen its stages graced by the likes of Cuco, Mon Laferte, Gaby Moreno, and beyond.  This Summer, Selena For Sanctuary comes to the iconic City Parks Foundation SummerStage in New York’s Central Park on August 18th for its biggest celebration yet. 
 

On August 18th SummerStage and Selena For Sanctuary throw a party for the ages- headlining is Kali Uchis, the Colombian-American artist with her distinctive soulful pop that has catapulted her onto the international stage, Cuco, the ascendent chicano bedroom pop star who’s just released his debut album Para Mí on Interscope, and Helado Negro, whose critically acclaimed 2019 release This Is How You Smile has enticed audiences far and wide with its synthy sweetness. Joining them will be Ambar Lucid, the Dominican and Mexican-American singer-songwriter from New Jersey whose sweetly intense voice paired with spacey guitars could make mountains dance, Jasper Bones, a chicano from LA whose wavy soul is perfect for and August night (and all nights, really), IV Jay, the Dominican-Puerto Rican-Colombian artist whose punchy RnB with messages preaching self love and empowerment garnered the attention of Atlantic Records last year. Also joining will be the Bay Area’s La Doña, whose enticing reggaeton tinged Chavela Vargas-like baladas have earned her a cult following at home and beyond.  Principe Q will be DJing the event, with signature selections of Kuduro, Dancehall, hip-hop and RnB. And accompanying will be the Santuario House Band under the direction of the legendary Adrian Quesada (Black Pumas, Brownout). 


Selena for Sanctuary will be benefiting Make The Road NY- a 23,000-member organization that builds the power of immigrant and working class communities to achieve dignity and justice. The organization recently co-led campaigns that won driver’s licenses for all New Yorkers regardless of immigration status and the NYS Dream Act, which gives undocumented students access to state tuition aid.

Selena for Sanctuary and City Parks Foundation SummerStage are thrilled to create such a necessary space one that is safe, joyful, and supportive. Come out and sway with us!