Are we riding another folk/tropical wave going the “alt” route? Though such traditional music-meshing with the “modern” have existed for over a decade, there’s been some sort of recent boost.”Alt Tropical”? Whether indie, sultry, and percussive music may be some obvious first picks, it’s only a fragment of the sound to what the predecessors of this old/new fusion represent.
Peru’s septet Bareto (which you’ll recall from our Chicha Morada playlist) first came into the scene in 2003, and released their debut in 2006 with Boleto. They gained national attention most notably for remaking ’70s Peruvian tunes from chicadelic bands like Black Sugar and Los Belkings. Lead under the musical direction of guitarist Joaquín Mariátegui, fronted by Mauricio Mesones, also consisting of Jorge Olazo, Sergio Sarria, Jorge Giraldo, and Rolo Gallardo as of current, Bareto redefined “Alt Tropical” by adding rock, ska, and reggae to chichadelic music, popularizing Peru’s folk genre once again among the younger peeps. Comparisons, in my Mexican brain, can be drawn to DF’s Maldita Vecindad with its mambo punk and Guadalajara’s cult classic El Personal.
As of latest, they released their fourth studio album Ves lo que quieres ver (You see what you wanna see) this year, and a new music video for “Camaleón” — a conscious track about societal deceptions, “photo ops,” political frauds, and false representations. The record is very nicely produced and overall, an audio experience of cool indie Lima.
[audio-player aws_file=”04 Camaleon.mp3″ aws_name=”Bareto – Camaleón”] [insert-video youtube=HSlpDxgLGeA]
For more info on Bareto, visit their
Facebook, Twitter, Bandcamp, and Reverbnation.