2012 was the last time we were graced with fresh material from the explosive Bomba Estereo. Three years later the band, led by Liliana Saumet (Li) and Simón Mejia, is back with Amanecer, another multi-genre journey into their electronically-charged world. During their album release party at Red Bull Studios, the two masterminds behind the energetic, hip-shaking music shared the intimate musical and personal journey that Amanecer took them on. Here’s what we learned:
1
South African music inspired the new album
In between albums, the band spent time touring parts of Africa, where they found inspiration in South African DJs, jamming out with musicians, and playing massive festivals. “We were listening to a lot of South African house music. There’s producers that are making really amazing electronic music in Africa,” bassist Simón said. “It was really inspirational for this next album.”
2
Amanecer is a collection of deep life experiences
Dance music doesn’t have to be trivial. “Deep things happen in our lives. Things happen to us that make us grow spiritually,” front woman Li shared. “It was a year where beautiful and deep things happened. This album came about and I think all those life experiences stuck to it.”
3
It’s a Colombian thing
Emotionally-driven lyrics are put together with upbeat rhythms in songs like “Somos Dos,” but Simon says doing this is a Colombian thing. “It’s very Colombian to have this feeling of dancing and feeling very deeply at the same time,” he said. “The album is a balance between going to party, dancing, but also thinking and feeling sometimes more into … emotions.”
4
Bomba Estereo is not just Cumbia music
Fans may have noticed that Amanecer is Bomba’s biggest departure from the cumbia sound they’re known for. But the band says they see themselves more as experimental than anything else. “Bomba’s life is about making music that is different each time, you have to evolve,” Li said. “We don’t want to stay in one sound, we’re not a cumbia band or a folk band. We’re a band that experiments, and that’s why we’re always evolving.”
5
Bomba Estereo connects different people and different worlds
Bomba’s followers aren’t just Latino or young; they’re all ages and from all over the world, said Li who got emotional when speaking about how important their fans have been in their music. The band stays highly connected to their fan base via social media outlets. They attract people who identify with their message rather than a specific cultural or age group. “It’s an honor to be able to make that connection between one world and another,” Li shared.