La Chiva Gantiva: Vivo (Crammed Discs)

 |   |  <1 min read

La Chiva Gantiva: Me Voy de mi Cabeza
La Chiva Gantiva: Vivo (Crammed Discs)

Further proof -- if any more were needed -- that "world music" is a very slippery and loose term. These Womad visitors deliver a heady brew of Afro-Colombian grooves, soul-funk, hip-hop and some nods to roiling Afrobeat.

They, of course, come from Belgium.

Recording in their own studio and getting this mixed in New York just compounds the "world music" issue and in their ranks alongside the three Colombians are two Belgians, a Frenchman and a Vietnamese guy.

That is undeniably "world".

This boiling, relentlessly rhythmic second album conjures up punk and carnival energy with air punching choruses, compulsive dance and hand-clap pop, with a horn section.

La Chiva Gantiva therefore are an ideal Womad band to get a crowd up and dancing. On the evidence here they sound an irresistible live act. 

For more details on Womad 2014 artists with sound samples and Elsewhere's opinion simply go here

Share It

Your Comments

post a comment

More from this section   World Music from Elsewhere articles index

Salif Keita: Un Autre Blanc (Naive/Southbound)

Salif Keita: Un Autre Blanc (Naive/Southbound)

This “retirement” thing is a long game: artists like Paul Simon, Sir Elton, various New Zealand television “personalities” and others announce their farewell . . . then tour... > Read more

ELSEWHERE WORLD SERVICE: A quick overview of recent world music releases

ELSEWHERE WORLD SERVICE: A quick overview of recent world music releases

Here's a frequent flyer/transit lounge/vicarious listening music column for those at home who want to get their musical passport stamped. Elsewhere has so many CDs and downloads commanding and... > Read more

Elsewhere at Elsewhere

Willie Nelson: Nite Life (1962)

Willie Nelson: Nite Life (1962)

For many folks, Willie Nelson's wonderful album of standards Stardust, in the late Seventies, was a revelation . . . and unexpected. By then he had been so long associatied with the Outlaw... > Read more

Dublin, Ireland: Hold your hour and have another

Dublin, Ireland: Hold your hour and have another

The black and white image of the man on the small television screen looks like something from a remote world of more than a century ago: wearing a white shirt, braces to hold up wide flannel... > Read more