Latin dance music super-group Bio Ritmo has been slamming out retro styles from Washington, DC to Cali, Colombia for 23 years, quite an accomplishment in itself. The title and cover artwork of their brand-new album Puerta del Sur (out June 24 on the ultra-hip Spanish label Vampisoul) reflect the uniqueness of their unlikely home base of Richmond, VA, known as “The Door to the South.” Perhaps in this case, the South refers not only to the southern United States but also to a whole range of Latin American music styles emanating from the Southern Hemisphere. Bio Ritmo’s music incorporates a rich blend of Cuban son and big-band mambo, Puerto Rican bomba, plena and aguinaldo, Nuyorican salsa and boogaloo, Brazilian samba and more.
We are proud to premiere the heretofore unreleased track “Le Dicen Dolor” (They Call It Pain), from Puerta del Sur. The tune starts as a relaxed salsa/guaguancó, and Rei Alvarez’s smooth voice floats over the traditional Afro-Cuban rumba rhythm with an ease born of experience and musical maturity. The pre-chorus switches briefly to an instrumental salsa/bomba feel, giving Alvarez a chance to shout out his hometown of Ponce, before a vintage keyboard lead announces the montuno chorus melody, which is both familiar and original. Enjoy the music, and feel no pain!
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