As part of an ongoing remix project from the legendary Nuyorican label Fania Records, which celebrated 50 years last summer, a salsero classic has a new look thanks to Peru’s dub/cumbia selvatica experts Dengue Dengue Dengue!. The label, in an effort to connect with the artists and sounds of today’s experimental Latinx music community, tapped Denguex3 to work with stems from Justo Betancourt’s “Pa Bravo Yo” original, which is part of a massive catalog of multi-tracks the label has available for reworking.
Press play on the remix, and you’ll hear an almost melancholy, introverted take on Justo Betancourt’s 1977 original, letting the original’s chorus and horn line lead the track in before winding into a stripped-down, stuttering footwork vision. The remix is an unexpected, and skillfully executed turn for the production duo, which has always stayed closer to cult cumbia cuts from their region. It’s a testament to their growth over the years, strengthened by touring, and you can tell they’ve been listening closely to the other homegrown urban music movements they’ve experienced.
Dengue Dengue Dengue! are currently on tour throughout North America; catch them June 11th at Subsuelo in Los Angeles, June 13th at Tormenta Tropical in San Francisco, June 14th at 3S Art Space in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, June 19th at Que Bajo?! in NYC, and June 20th at the Solstice Festival in Cleveland.