Locos Por Juana
Biography :
Locos Por Juana truly shakes! This quintet’s skilful blend of Afro-Colombian beats, reggae, jazz and funk has made it a winner and a nominee for the Latin Grammy Awards in 2005 and 2008.
Take a large dose of cumbia, mix it with just as much funk and reggae, add an ounce of hip-hop and a pinch of dub, stir briskly, do not let stand. And let your new invention come to life. Locos por Juana is a group with an indefinable style, eclectic, original and energetic – a mixture called a “funky, pan-Latino amalgam by the Los Angeles Times.
Created in Miami in 2000 by Colombians and by Americans from Latin America and the Caribbean, Locos por Juana took a genre-blending path. With Itagui Correa on vocals, Mark Kondrat on guitar and Javier Delgado on drums, the group also includes two horn players, José Gonzalez and Lasim Richards. They often call upon other musicians to enrich their influences and deepen their cultural mix.
Two years after it was created, the group brought out an initial album, titled Locos por Juana. Praised by critics, it received an award for best new Latino rock group from BBC America. In 2005, their second album came out, Musica Pa'l Pueblo, riper but just as energetic. Again, the critics were highly favourable, and the rewards were not slow in coming, in particular a nomination for best album in the Latin Grammies.
La Verdad (Truth) was released in 2008. Produced by Machete Music, the album maintains accents of cumbia, ragga and funk, also adding a little salsa with the appearance of Hector Lavoe and Willie Colón. Once again, recognition awaited them: they were nominated for the American Grammy Awards, a consecration for this motley and daring crew. There followed a year-long international tour across the American continent and Europe. In 2010, they recorded Evolucion EP, which includes six pieces, far from conventions and from labels. Yet again.
Their fourth album, Somos de la calle, is slated to come out later in 2012, with the group on international tour. This new opus will include, in particular, the participation of the Ghanaian reggae singer Rocky Dawuni.
Locos Por Juana
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