We are all familiar with Santero as a Bay Area-based DJ of Guatemalan roots, with a fetish for everything Afro-Latin. We have featured him a few times on our weekly mixtape columns. This time, however, we introduce him again as an artist, creating his own original music. “Tambores de Afrika” is the first single out of Santero’s upcoming new EP Afrika soon to be released on Round Whirled Records, the label of the Grammy-nominated über-producer Greg Landau, who produced this particular track, along with his nephew, the multi-instrumentalist Camilo Landau (of Carne Cruda), who played guitar on it. The instrumental track includes additional beat programming by El Kool Kyle (from the infamous El Superritmo parties) and scratches by DJ Mr. E, turning it into a sort of who-is-who of the Bay Area’s progressive Latin scene. As if that wasn’t enough, then on vocals we find the premier Canadian Latino MC Boogat dropping some rhymes over the contagious afro-funk beat. Over all a great collaborative project where Santero ends up playing the part of host to a multitude of talented people. We haven’t heard the rest of this Afrika EP yet but it’d easy to predict that it’ll be packed with more surprise guest appearances.
Tambores de Afrika – Santero ft. Boogat by SanteroMusic