Çantamarta is one of the revelation groups in Spain in recent times: the trio formed by Luis Lozano, Beni Casado and Omar Molina has made the so-called “mestizaje” their form of expression and, especially, Latin rhythms influence them, since their vocalist Luis, comes from Venezuela, while Beni and Omar grew up in Andalusia; flamenco also runs through its sound.
After making herself known with hits like ‘Lluvia’, ‘Chinita’ or ‘Liit’ with Rusowsky, Çantamarta has released her wonderful debut album, ‘PASARELA’, in which diverse sounds from Latin America and the Caribbean coexist through a prism. pop and electronic.
‘Pasarela’, the title track, is one of the most rhythmic, mixing dembow, hip-hop and other Afro-Caribbean rhythms. In the salsero chorus, Luis sings that he has “a lot of friends” but “little friends.” This phrase summarizes the meaning of the entire song, which explores “the migrant feeling”, in words collected by MondoSonoro. ‘Pasarela’, specifically, “emphasizes the conflict that many Latinx young people go through when they leave their home plus the multiple questions that run through their heads during the process.”
In the lyrics, Çantamarta “expects a change” but encounters “new immigration laws” and coexists with “militaries” who “stalk” them and with the dark reality of integration: “There are rumors in the center that in order to achieve seat / I have to change accent with the toads of the moment,” the group rhymes. In the chorus, Luis would express that he shares the migratory experience with other people, but that in the host country he continues to be the Other. Or, rather, that it remains turned into the Other, for other people.
Of course, the beauty of ‘Pasarela’ is to be a musical Trojan Horse, because to tell the crude and sour reality of immigration it uses a tremendously vibrant, rhythmic, fun and catchy form. It is the story of many popular music, from salsa to hip-hop. The renowned Venezuelan percussionist Marcel Dávila is among the accredited musicians.
