Crammed has released over 250 albums and 250 singles by artists from all over the world, ranging from Aksak Maboul to Bel Canto, Carl Craig, DJ Morpheus (& the Freezone series), Eddie Fowlkes, Flat Earth Society, The Gruesome Twosome, The Honeymoon Killers (let's skip some letters) ... to Snooze, Suba, Tek 9 & 4hero, Zap Mama, Hector Zazou and Zuco 103 ...
Crammed's sub-labels have included the Made To Measure composers' series, world music collection Cramworld, electronic music imprints SSR, Language & Selector, and Ziriguiboom, a collection devoted to new Brazilian music. Nowadays, Crammed would like to believe that borders between genres are no longer indispensable, so most releases tend to come out under the simple "Crammed" banner.
Crammed's current roster includes Konono N°1, Cibelle, Koçani Orkestar, Taraf de Haidouks, Bebel Gilberto, Balkan Beat Box, DJ Dolores, Tuxedomoon, Shantel, Kasai Allstars, Think Of One, Mahala Rai Banda, newcomers Lonely Drifter Karen & Allá, and more.
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!
