Description

1LP Vinyl – HB004

Cumbia Cosmonauts & The Radio Africa Band is the long-awaited second album by sonic explorers Cumbia Cosmonauts, four years in the making. It is an afro-futurist soundtrack built for the dancefloor, in which the Cumbia Cosmonauts’ distinct take on cumbia and tropical bass meets the ancient musical traditions of the West African griots. This album captures the sound of synthesizers, kora, animal skin percussion and drum machines forged over a series of acclaimed live performances. The music was co-composed with three Melbourne-based West African master musicians – Lamine Sonko, Amadou Kalissa and Olugbade Okunade – coming together as The Radio Africa Band. The vocals in English, Mandingo, Wolof, Yoruba and Spanish express life in contemporary Melbourne and Australia as we hear, feel, and live it. The Melbourne Festival 2015 live performance was broadcast by ABC Radio National, and the recording of this album was financially supported by the Australia Council.