Friday, May 13, 2011

This Week On Alt.Latino: Guest DJ Bomba Estereo

Simon Mejia.
Enlarge Roger Kisby/Getty Images

Simon Mejia.

Roger Kisby/Getty Images

Simon Mejia.

English / Spanish

Bomba Estereo bassist and bandleader Simon Mejia told us the first time he heard Liliana Saumet sing, he felt an instinctive pull toward a voice that had something special. Such is the vision of a musician driven to produce the music he hears in his head.

We got a glimpse of the DNA behind that vision when Mejia sat down with us in NPR's studios to spin some of his favorite tunes as a guest DJ.

It's not surprising that much of the music he brought along is from Colombia and Africa. The early successes of his band are the result of embracing Colombia's Afro-Colombian and hip-hop cultures.

Mejia's playlist is rich with tradition, and there's a good chance you've never heard any of the cuts. But like a previous Guest DJ, Geko Jones, Mejia is acutely tuned into the nonstop grooves behind traditional vocals and instruments.

Though Mejia and Saumet are co-architects of Bomba Estereo's sound, when the band performs live, it's the animated Saumet who is the main visual attraction. During our Guest DJ session, Mejia was characteristically quiet and subdued, almost to the point of shyness.

That's not always a great fit for radio. But in this case, it was just the right tone to set for a collection of music that has shaped not only Bomba Estereo's sound, but also the musical profile of Colombia.

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English / Spanish

Esta Semana En Alt.Latino: Invitado Especial Sim?n Mej?a

Seg?n Simon Mejia, bajista y l?der de la popular banda colombiana Bomba Estereo, la primera vez que escuch? cantar a la vocalista Liliana Saumet, sinti? una instintiva atracci?n hacia esa voz tan especial. Esa es la visi?n de un artista apasionado por producir la m?sica que existe en su imaginaci?n.

Recientemente Mejia nos visit? para hablarnos sobre como construyeron Bomba Estereo, y tambi?n comparti? con nosotros algunas de sus canciones favoritas del momento.

No es ninguna sorpresa que mucha de la m?sica que comparti? con nosotros proviene de Colombia y ?frica. El ?xito de la banda tiene mucho que ver con su habilidad de fusionar el hip-hop y la m?sica electr?nica con la fuerte tradici?n de m?sica afro-colombiana.

A pesar de que tanto Mejia como Saumet son los arquitectos de Bomba Estereo, cuando la banda toca en vivo, es la energ?a de Saumet que llama la atenci?n. Durante su visita, tuvimos la oportunidad de conocer mejor a Mejia: es un hombre callado, discreto, casi se podr?a decir que t?mido.

No es el tipo de personalidad que suele o?rse en la radio?pero en esta ocasi?n fue un perfecto acompa?ante para escuchar una colecci?n de m?sica que ha moldeado a Bomba Estereo,y a toda Colombia.

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/altlatino/2011/05/11/136220508/this-week-on-alt-latino-guest-dj-simon-mej-a?ft=1&f=1039

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