Super fun Austin-based collective Peligrosa are taking the next logical step and launching their Discos Peligrosa imprint. Their first release is none other than one the albums included in our 11 Releases We’re Looking Forward To in 2015 list: Kiko Villamizar‘s debut album, La Remolacha, and it represents what the nu-Latin crew is all about.
With 14 lengthy tracks, La Remolacha runs a little long, but it showcases Villamizar’s fascination with the Colombian root music he grew up with and has been researching for some time now, as well as other Latin and Caribbean sounds. Through what he has collected from his trips, he came up with his own particular mix of genres from all over the continent, but particularly showing his love for everything Afro-Colombian. That is immediately noticeable in album opener “Para quererte a ti,” his collaboration with Juan Camilo Agudelo.
And the genre list goes on. “Como ella no hay” is a successful attempt to seamlessly connect ska and salsa like they belong together. “San Antonio” is his take on Mexican huapango, and “Solidaridad” is all reggae and dub. And, of course, there’s cumbia all around. While his raspy voice can turn out to be a little divisive, it works very well in this context. This is a remarkable release for both Villamizar and Discos Peligrosa.
Head over to Discos Peligrosa’s Bandcamp to pick up the release.