Take a trip all over Latin America and let the electro sounds be your main companion. That’s the effect that Centavrvs will provide with their latest album Sombras De Oro.
Releasing their first full-length LP, the Mexico City group is proud to show their identity and culture, but is not afraid to invite the sounds across the southern borders; mixing ranchera, corrido, rock, cumbia, and even bachata, with an electronic twist, to give your feet some overtime. That invitation was extended this time around to some special weapons: Toy-Selectah (Control Machete / 3BallMTY) to co-produce and a collaboration with Denise Gutierrez of Hello Seahorse!.
The album goes straight to the point and opens up with “La Noche y Un Huracan” a funky folkloric-electro mix about still being in love with someone they no longer have. “Sombras de Oro” is a liberating tune that encourages one to be themselves and not what others expect; to come out of the shadows and stop being false. “El Reino del Cacao” bathes in sensuality with a metaphor of being chocolate, and lyrics like “I want to melt and warm your body….savor my heart.” The sensuality keeps coming with “Chiquita Milagrosa” which glorifies women with lyrics of beauty and enchantment.
Denise Gutierrez brings her beautifully mystical voice on “Por Eso” with a sultry ballenato rhythm in the background and the provocative lyrics “We were an erupting volcano. We discovered the forbidden, and that is why we must say goodbye now.” “La Tarde Me Dio” flaunts the sounds of classic bachata at its true origin. The guitar strings trickle down accompanied by a “trio-like” chorus and an extended twang of a single string transports you to a tropical paradise.
“Colibri” is a symbol of a guardian of time. This meaningful song beings with a soft rhythm that carries the chorus “Don’t let me forget my past,” but bursts into a dance party that chants “I ask that you bring peace to my people and my homeland” as if worshiping this symbol like a god. Toning it down to a more electro-lounge vibe, “Mañana” projects a positive message of being free and enjoying this world, as it is ours. “Caudillo del Sur” digs into their roots with a slower tempo that allows the focus on the few lyrics “Viva Emiliano Zapata! Viva la Revolucion!” Another revolution song is “La Valentina” a remake of a famous and classic Mexican corrido. It beautifully pays tribute to one of the first female revolutionaries who left a legacy and an iconic image of all female revolutionaries.
Centavrvs was conceived during and as a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution. They don’t forget their roots, the revolution, the people, and positive messages, which are very present in this album, all while bringing a sense of recognition to multiple-cultures.
Sombras de Oro is available now for download on iTunes.
