By José Gandue @Gandour
To tell the story of Colombia, from decades past and the most recent, with violence and social injustice always present, one can turn to a sound formula combining Andean and Llanero folk roots, some blues, references to North American country and western, and a strong punk attitude, And with that, they've created a powerful, raw album that breaks with current trends where perhaps nothing is ever said and a false sense of happiness is conveyed. Yes, that's what the first album from the Bogotá band is all about. The Machetes, called With the devil on his back.
This group, made up of five veteran musicians from the local music scene, with Fernando Del Castillo at the helm, lead singer of one of the most followed bands in the Colombian alternative scene, 1280 Almas, They have released a compilation of ten caustic songs that effectively combine references to everyday life with, on the other hand, the dates that marked what we could call a national tragedy. Everything stems from this (the music, the lyrics, and the band members' own image). of the fateful April 9, 1948, On that day, in the heart of the capital, just a few blocks from the government palaces, the popular leader was assassinated. Jorge Eliécer Gaitán and it happened «"The Bogotazo", a chaotic uprising of the people after which came oppression, violence in the countryside, and thousands of deaths throughout all these years of bandits, soldiers, repressors, guerrillas, paramilitaries, terrorists and warlords (these latter ones, who, for more than 75 years, were always the only winners).
But don't worry. This isn't an overly intellectual and tedious summary of what I experienced in these lands. With the devil on his back It's an album that contains humor in its brilliant measure, full of urban tales, which can be enjoyed without guilt with good tobacco and rum., Made in the style of village minstrels and contemporary narrative. Del Castillo describes it thus: “With the Devil on My Back speaks of how everyone lives life, battling against destiny. That's how it is for us, or at least for that segment of the Colombian people that we also want to represent with what we do, which has those elements of the folklore of these lands. That, for me, is the main achievement of this album.”
In short, a good album that It deserves to be listened to seeking surprise, revelry, and reflection. An album that doesn't compromise on the comfort of lazy listeners and instead hopes to break the mold of what is current and repetitive.