There once was a TV show about a shapeshifting doctor who could transform into any animal he wanted, but most of the time he would use these powers to become either a hawk or a black panther (the big cat, not the party). Oh, and he used these powers to fight crime. Needless to say, the show, Manimal, lasted less than a full season (NBC cancelled it after eight episodes) and around here, very few people remember it. However, in several Latin American countries where it ran, the show was a huge hit and it achieved cult status—people still wonder why they would stop making episodes of such a great show!
Apparently, Argentine DJ/producer Un Mono Azul was one of those many South American fans of Manimal (I confess, I was one, too), but he probably got to see the show later as a rerun or on VHS, because he was only 2 years old when the show aired on Canal 9 back in 1983. Still, he decided to pay homage to the show on his most recent release, an EP titled Manimal on Sub Klub netlabel and available for FREE download.
Manimal includes two songs with this title, using the same riddim by the half-human-half-monkey producer, but one version is sung by Lido Pimienta from Colombia/Canada and the other one by Cholita Sound, from Chile. Each girl brought their own lyrics to the studio, both talking about animal transformation from different perspectives and it’s a lot of fun to compare them by playing them back to back. The EP also includes guest appearances by Chilean rappers Zonora Point and Chilean-via-Mexico producer Paul Marmota (another half-animal-half-human?).
DOWNLOAD UN MONO AZUL’S MANIMAL HERE AND BY CLICKING THE ART BELOW.
