Ondatrópica: Cumbia Tropical

In 2007, British DJ Quantic (Will Holland) moved to Colombia to immerse himself in cumbia, champeta, gaita and other local rhythms—and are we lucky he did. Borne of that obsession: Ondatrópica. The project, a collaboration between Holland and Colombian musician Mario Galeano, is appropriately cross-cultural, pairing traditional Colombian rhythms with kinetic global flavors, from boogaloo to Afrobeat, dub to hip-hop. But it's also a cross-generational project: Galeano and Holland recruited both legendary locals like accordion player Anibal Velasquez and up-and-comers like Ana Tijoux.

This creative project sounds like a swirling, sweaty, smart party that shimmies along to the beat of its own boundless energy while winking at its influences. Colombian beatboxer El Chongo dances cheek-to-cheek with squalling reeds, "Punkero Sonidero" sketches out plans for a psych-tropi-punk-funk future (possibly in space) and, oh yeah, there's a cumbia-fied, appropriately ironic cover of "Iron Man." Just sit back and let the dizzying energy, trippy sonic concoctions and infectious high of tracks like the fierce, frenetic "Gaita Trópica" wash over you. – Rachel Devitt, Google Play

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