SYSTEMA SOLAR, Systema Solar (OneRPM)

Cargo: Colombian hip-hop, dub, electro-cumbia, Afro-Latin/Caribbean broken beat

Packed like: a new musical movement that’s more addictive, yet still from Colombia!

Taxes: Systema Solar is Colombia’s pride and joy, releasing their highly anticipated Latin American gem, of the same title. Just as sound systems are to Jamaican street youth, pikos are to Colombia’s Caribbean coast, blasting the hip-hop infused funk such as “Bienvenidos” onto the beaches and streets, unifying the youths with a common sense of purpose for better living, against corruption and stained poverty-stricken conditions. The fury of this music is basically – let’s get this stain removed once and for all – if not we’re not going to suffer – we’ll celebrate before we hate each other and kill over it. And it’s best felt on other festive tracks such as “Ya Veras,” “En Los Huesos” and “Mi Kolombia” bridging the traditional cumbia chants with DJ scratching against the backdrop of accordion melodies. While on “El Majagual,” the electronic reverb boosts the heart and soul of Afro-Colombian funk to the forefront of Latin American music youth culture, showcasing verbena – the good-time celebratory spirit guiding parties from tiny hamlets to big city life. If inland within Bogotá it’s gangsta, Systema Solar is the complete opposite as a musical-visual outfit, injecting their versions of house and dance music with club-ready grooves from “Sin Oficio” and “Oye,” to more of the traditional cumbia/reggae grooves for serious wining and gyrating of waistlines on the beach in songs such as “Fayaguaya aka Firewire,” which is set in that Calypso flavor, hot enough to sweep any tropical territory with a flashing repeated red alert reading – ‘dancefloor occupied, dancefloor overheating, dancefloor on fire’!

Rating: 5Star 4Star 3Star 2Star 1Star