Something is cooking. Afro-Venezuelan rhythms meet James Brown inspired funk on “Cafunga” by Raúl Monsalve y los Forajidos. Over hip-shaking bass guitar, big brass chords and the beat of the clarín drum, we hear how to make the best cafunga, a very old Afro-Venezuelan recipe made with plantain and cheese. Taken from Raúl Monsalve y los Forajidos exhilarating ‘Bichos’ album, forthcoming on Olindo Records. A potent stew of raw funk, jazz, afrobeat and Afro-Venezuelan rhythms, it features an all-star ensemble of musical trailblazers including “the voice of Venezuela” Betsayda Machado, singer Luzmira Zerpa (Family Atlantica) and drummer Dave De Rose (Agile Experiments, Electric Jalaba).
With producer/engineer/drummer Malcolm Catto behind the recording and mixing desk, Raúl brought together a like-minded cast of friends from Venezuela, Paris and London, to help him create a fresh sound, capturing the essence of both the African and indigenous roots of Venezuelan music, and the forward-looking sounds of afrobeat, gritty Latin jazz and experimental electronic music.
