The world needs another cover of “Lambada” like it needs another “No Fue Penal” meme– seriously Internet, just stop already. And while I’m reticent to champion any bandwagon that both Don Omar and Anahí have boarded, Selma Oxor has provided a fresh enough take on the song to make us fall in love with it…yet again.
“Brisa, Sol y Mar” is a bare and icy hot re-imagining of Kaoma’s classic 1989 single, which itself is a mix cover of Márcia Ferreira’s 1986 hit “Chorando se foi” and Cuarteto Continental’s “Llorando se fue”…which were both adapted from…oh just Wikipedia it. Oxor’s rendition places a punchy kick drum and glacial synths in lieu of the original’s percussion-laden, accordion-heavy instrumentation, yet never quite ditches its equatorial flavor, carrying an especially sensuous quality almost solely through Selma’s slinky vocalwork.
The track will form a part of Estados Unidos De Latinoamerica’s (formerly Vale Vergas Discos) upcoming compilation, Tercer Ojo, Tercer Mente, Tercer Mundo. Though details on the compilation have been hush, it will presumably feature a selection from the label’s ample roster, which features the likes of Bruno Darío, Alberto Acinas, and Mujercitas Terror, to name a few. Its release will coincide with EUAL’s showcase at Festival Antes, in Mexico City, which will take place on July 25.
You can stream and download the track directly at Selma Oxor’s Bandcamp page.