Photo from Flickr by scannerFM
The Columbian band Bomba Estéreo comes from an earlier loose collective of musicians originating in the local alt rock scene called A.M. 770. It came as part of a movement to incorporate electronic beats and dance music into traditional rhythms including salsa and cumbia.
Simon Mejia began to focus on the emerging style, releasing Vol. 1, which was essentially a solo project but with the new name of Bomba Estéreo. Soon Mejia had recruited some of the studio musicians he used on the disc to form a full-fledged band.
Bomba Estéreo’s second album came to the US in 2009. The single Fuego from the record was an international hit and helped propel the band to number one in MTV’s poll for Best New Band in the World conducted through Iggy, their channel focused on alternative world music artists.
Using South by Southwest and Bonnaroo to expose a larger audience to their unique sound, Bomba Estéreo has been an active touring band. By their fourth album, the band also had success with music placement. You may have heard their music in the FIFA video games as well as movie soundtracks.
The band recorded their latest album Deja in early 2020, a time of civil unrest in Columbia. Flying a group of collaborators to a small Colombian beach town, the group was able to stay clear of the conflict through refuge in the natural world and created a concept album about healing ourselves politically, socially, and spiritually.
