Hey Campo, keep those remixes coming!
Less than two weeks ago, we brought you the hip-hop remix La Teja Pride made for Campo’s hit “La Marcha Tropical.” This time around we have two, yes two, remixes for the price of one, or actually for the price of zero. The song is called “Cumbio,” the one that gave birth to the whole Campo thing as a Bajofondo side-project.
Juan Campodónico had the idea of creating something new using ñu-cumbia as a framework but avoiding the genre’s clichés, so he invited Martín Rivero to do some vocals on it… in English. Indeed, Campo’s self-titled debut album includes two cumbias, and both of them have lyrics in English. You think that’s odd coming from an Uruguayan artist? I think it was a conscious branding strategy to avoid being dumped in the cumbia category and played on the cumbia radios, saving their aura of utter-coolness and sophistication.
Whatever the reason was, it doesn’t matter, because the song works out stupendously as an unexpected confluence point between the tropical South American style and the British new wave. This last part becomes even more evident on the remix Santé Les Amis made for “Cumbio” where they stripped out all the cumbia elements and all of a sudden it sounds like a Depeche Mode joint (if you dig it, I recommend you visit Santé Les Amis’ website, they have an EP for free download too). The other remix was done by Pablo Bonilla, a minimal DJ/remixer who’s also a member of Campo and Bajofondo Remixed. His approach left more of the original cumbia flavor, but got rid of most of the vocals adding more techno effects. Two great remixes very different from on another, both free!
Cumbio (original & remixes) by CAMPO
