Description
La Mambanegra (The Black Mamba) is a powerful latin music orchestra. Its venom is made of 70s NYC Salsa and elements of Jamaican and Colombian music, Funk and Hip Hop. Made up of some of Colombia's finest players, La Mambanegra are the advance guard for the rebirth of Salsa, twisting the genre into the 21st Century.
Inspired by the story of an anonymous and mythical hero of the Barrio Obrero, a popular neighborhood of Cali, who had a series of fantastic adventures in Cali, La Habana and New York, this band brings a new concept of Salsa and Latin Music to the world.
But, La Mambanegra are more than just salsa. Indeed, their leader Jacobo Vélez prefers to believe that they inhabit a genre all of their own. He calls it 'break-salsa', on account of the band's easy assimilation of hip-hop, ragga and knife-sharp funk.
Hailing from the Colombian salsa capital of Cali, this nine-piece have been grooving hard for four years now, their polyrhythmic, horn-heavy and thoroughly modern sound quickly earning them a devoted following across South America and beyond. Their full-throttle live shows overflowing with the absolute commitment of each band member. In Vélez, they have an exuberant, passionate leader for whom the music is an essential life force. "Salsa is sweat, sex, liquour and Pielroja cigarettes," he announces. "It's the gasoline that turns my heart on."
"As funky as James Brown and as hot as the Cali nightclubs that they light up on a regular basis... La Mambanegra are a force of nature and one of the most exciting bands to come out of Colombia for a while." – Sounds And Colours
"If you go for music loaded with venom, with a spicy and dangerous mix, so push play and replay at this concoction of pure "salsa caliente"" – VICE
"Achieving a balance between danceable and virtuosity is no simple feat, but bandleader-saxophonist Jacobo Velez pulls it off. To make things more interesting, he's based the band's persona on a mythical musical hero who's lived incredible adventures. A visual and sonic treat." – Billboard
