By José Gandue @Gandour
Another confession of youthful mistakes: For a long time I hated jazz. Well, I have to say something: we often distance ourselves from certain musical genres (and, in general, from certain cultural movements) because of the kind of people around us who promote them. The jazz scene in Bogotá back then was too pretentious, excessively academic, exuding disdain for all popular music, and especially for rock. Given that, it wasn't very appealing to get involved in those circles. Of course, because I was so prejudiced, I missed out on many things that I've only recently begun to understand and accept. And I have been assimilating part of that process thanks to its happy coexistence, with many examples, with hip hop.
In these kinds of harmonious marriages, when they have achieved their goal, there is total harmony, because, in many cases, They come together to tell relatable stories, urban tales in which those who connect with the sound feel that everything that expands in the speaker also belongs to them., He also speaks of his own life. There remains a virtuoso and rigorous pursuit of instrumental performance, but it becomes more palatable to the contemporary ear when it has that streetwise cadence., that flow which invites you to feel the narrative and find in it the natural sensuality generated by body movement when the music plays. The union between these styles is not a new formula; it has been seen for forty years, from the first samples that hip hop producers obtained from old bebop, hard bob, and cool jazz records, among other genres, to incorporate into their recordings. But, it must be said, every time they manage to come together, There is magic in the air and there is hope in the future roar.
The latest example of this comes to us from Santiago The Brigid Orchestra. Formed by experienced musicians from the Chilean music scene. It includes members of groups such as Mapocho Orquesta, Como Asesinar a Felipes, Conchalí Big Band and Newen Afrobeat. They are releasing new material, an EP titled Antipodal, a compilation of 5 tracks, with a total duration of 25 minutes. It is a commendable work, captured in the studio with delicacy, but at the same time, the necessary freedom to express itself as if it came from any block of any neighborhood on this side of the world., without alienating those less knowledgeable and, rather, preventing excessive pomposity from others who present themselves as more expert on the subject.
Antipodal It's an album open to anyone to listen to without any precautions. Let me put it this way: It can provide relief to someone who wants to clear their ears on their way home after a long party, and it can be a companion for those who use headphones to escape the noise of public transport on their way to work. But don't be mistaken: It's not meditation material, nothing like that. The texts are powerful, extremely sincere, and speak of things close to everyday life, with enough poetry to move us and draw us into the film., gradually understanding that, possibly, they are narrating our intimate emotions, our fears, our clumsy approaches to love. As the title of this piece suggests, this is urban exquisiteness, and it arrives at the perfect time, just in time to refresh our repertoire and our usual playlists. It's an EP to listen to repeatedly and then share, without, we hope, succumbing to the resistance generated by the initial labels used to describe this wonderful material.