La Sonora Mazurén is the latest addition to the already rich indie-tropical scene out of Bogotá, Colombia. Deeply rooted in the popular sounds and rhythms of South America, the group draws from cumbia, chicha, guaracha, champeta and other styles mostly from Ecuador, Colombia and Peru.

Far from being folklorists or revivalists, La Sonora Mazurén combines synthesizers and electric guitars with accordion and percussion to create a futuristic style indebted to early pioneers such as Polibio Mayorga or Bogota’s own Eblis Alvarez, of Meridian Brothers fame, who also produced their debut album. The result is a psychedelic feast reminiscent of the golden years of Tropicalia.

Their first album, Bailando con Extraños, got them many accolades in Europe, in France in particular where the band toured in the fall of 23 and again in the summer of 24. Their follow up album, Magnetismo Animal, was mostly tracked in rural Normandy, during one of their European tours, and completed in Bogotá. Barbès Records (Roots of Chicha, Chicha Libre, Chico Trujillo) will be releasing it in the fall.

Franz Mesmer and his theory of animal magnetism provide the running theme for their new album. A collection of songs linked by the idea of a shared trance-inducing energy, channeled through rhythms and sound experiments. Musical inspiration for the album come from Colombian gaita, vallenato and cumbia, Peruvian huayno and chicha, Ecuadorian Sanjuanitos – a panoply of Afro-Andean traditions filtered through a futuristic vision of dance music that melds percussion-heavy polyrhythms and psychedelic sounds.

Band members are all active on the new tropical Bogotá scene. Keyboardist and accordionist Ivan Medellin and bassist Nicolas Eckardt are members of cult band Romperayo. Percussionists and singers Giovanna Mogollón and Diana Sanmiguel are also 2/3 of popular trio LA PERLA.

Featuring: Juan David Lacorazza (guitar); Luis Lizarralde (drums); Iván Medellín (keyboards, accordion, vocals); Giovanna Mogollón (percussion, vocals); Miguel Ángel Rodriguez Rebolledo (percussion, vocals); Diana Sanmiguel (percussion, vocals).

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IVAN MEDELLIN:

Accordion, Keyboards and vocals: Ivan Medellin (Bogotá, 1991) is a rising tropical-psychedelia musician and producer based in Bogotá. Focusing in Latin-American rhythms, he has developed a unique style as an accordionist that channels free improvisation techniques into cumbia sabanera from the northern region of Colombian.

His versatility has allowed him to be part of projects of different styles, from latin-tropicanibalism to jazz, having performed at festivals and renowned music festivals, venues and theaters around the world. He directs his own cumbia ensemble called Conjunto Media Luna.

Ivan also plays the accordion in Romperayo led by acclaimed Colombian drummer Pedro Ojeda, and is the keyboardist of the celebrated young tropical band La Sonora Mazurén. He has also performed with Colombian jazz band El Ombligo, led by improviser and double-bassist Santiago Botero, with renowned hip hop artist N. Hardem, naive-rock band Hermanos Menores, and recently with Colombian tropical orchestra Ondatrópica led by William Holland “Quantic” and Mario Galeano from Frente Cumbiero.

Ivan has also actively participated in several public workshops and clinics regarding cumbia sabanera and the interpretation of the accordion in his hometown and in online seminars abroad and works as a Producer and Recording Engineer for In-Correcto and Mambo Negro Records in Bogotá.

NICOLAS ECKARDT

Bass and vocals: Nicolás Eckardt is a Bogotanian musician and producer. He began his career at age 13 being bass player in rock bands at school and went on to study music production at the Universidad de Los Andes in Bogotá, electric guitar and vocal technique at The Artist Studio in Bristol UK and latin american traditional music in Colombia with various master musicians.

Throughout his career he has worked and collaborated with several artists such as Anthony Coleman, Chicha Libre, Romperayo, Meridian Brother, Tubará, Nkumba System, Masilva, Jorge Fadul, Redil Cuarteto, Emilsen Pacheco, among others.

For about 12 years he has studied and interpreted rhythms from the Caribbean and the Colombian Pacific, taking them as a focus for his main project: La Sonora Mazurén in which he has developed his own sound research and with whom he has played on important stages, such as Festival Distritofonico, Festival Jaguar, Festival Centro, Colsubsidio Theater’s Cumbia Dinamita Festival and Festival Colombia al Parque. Nicolas, Besides being a performer and producer in his projects, is currently the bassist for the tropical group Romperayo and the guitarist in the experimental jazz group Mirlitorrinco. He currently runs a record label called Discos La Milagrosa which focuses on punk, traditional and experimental music.

DIANA SANMIGUEL

Percussion and vocals: Diana Sanmiguel is a singer and percussionist from Bogotá, who has had an outstanding career with La Perla, La Boa, Mestizo & La Sonora Mazurén. Gaita music, Caribbean and Afrobeat percussion specialized.

In more than 15 years of career she has recorded with multiple projects, has toured 18 countries and has collaborated with international artists such as Nubya García, The Mexican Institute of Sound (Metallica 20 years Black álbum) La Dame Blanche, Son Rompe Pera, Baja Frecuencia, among others, making her a prominent artist in the country's music scene.

GIOVANNA MOGOLLON

Percussion and vocals: Giovanna Mogollón León (Roberta Leono). From Bogotá, is a percussionist, singer and sociologist. She is one third of the voice and percussion trio La Perla and a member of bullerengue group la Rueda as well as el Conjundo de Media Luna and La Sonora Mazurén. She has worked as a researcher for the cultural outfit and record label Sonidos Enraizados and worked with the music and culture section of IDARTES.

MIGUEL ROREBOLLEDO

Percussion and vocals: Miguel Rorebolledo. Bogotanian, social communicator, percussionist, composer and singer. He is currently percussionist of La Sonora Mazurén and singer of La Pambelé. He has worked as a documentary sound recordist in various projects both private and social support to vulnerable communities in Colombia with organizations such as save the children, operation smile, profamilia among others

JUAN DAVID LACORAZZA

Juan David Lacorazza is a musician, producer and guitar player born in Bogota, Colombia. He played guitar since the age of 6 going through different genres including rock, classical and latin. Studied music production, played and composed in bands like La Tromba Bacalao and La Sonora Mazurén.