“Pelao” (which equally means “kid”, “hairless”, or even "broke"), includes 11 titles, sung in Spanish, French, and sometimes in a strange mixture of the two languages. In addition to other subjects, the lyrics seek to deconstruct the clichés that circulate about Latin-American cultures.
The story of LA CHIVA GANTIVA starts in Brussels with a group of Colombian percussionists playing together, in order to feel closer to their homeland and its rich musical heritage. Pushed by ...
Cumbia rockers La Chiva Gantiva's fun new video "Apretao"...
Apretao conveys the playfulness and energy of the band's celebrated album & live show. We follow bandleader Rafael Espinel as he wanders in the city and meets a bunch of strange characters, before sharing his sartorial finds with the band and launching into a final, dishevelled jam.
La Chiva Gantiva's performance at the River of Music Festival during the London Olympics was described by The Times as one of the high points of the event:
"For sheer rabble-rousing lust for life, La Chiva Gantiva took first prize. A multicultural group of mostly Colombian exiles based in Brussels, they produced a frenetic carnival-punk racket that detonated like a Molotov cocktail of rock, rap, soul and ferociously funky Latin rhythms. Whippet-thin and explosively hairy, their livewire singer Rafael Espinel electrified the sun-weary crowd with his irrepressible energy and charisma",
while Uncut (UK) wrote about their debut album "Pelao":
"It seems a fair guess that Joe Strummer would have loved La Chiva Gantiva. A joyous ramshackle racket that interweaves clattery Latin rhythms with dishevelled funk, rock and jazz elements in a similarly frenetic style to other deracinated roots-punk acts like Gogol Bordello or Manu Chao. This lively debut is awash with bone-shaking carnival punk-funk grooves",
and London mag Monocle said:
"Kaboom! Tish! There's a lot going on in this hot-blooded mess that features a UN-tastic personnel. Restless, arresting, addictive"
The French press has been just as enthusiastic:
"Une bombe incendiaire de groove latino" (Libération)
"Fusion déjantée de traditions afro-colombiennes (porro, cumbia), de funk et d'énergie rock, ce groupe bruxellois multi-ethnique (trois Colombiens, trois Européens et un Vietnamien) réveille les articulations du Vieux-Continent. Façon pogo plutôt que danse de salon" (Vibrations)
and MTV Iggy's just published an article on the band, in which they describe La Chiva Gantiva as "one of the dopest new Colombian bands around" !!!
Don't miss their upcoming shows!
