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Ojos de Brujo are back! Spring 2009 UK dates and release of album 'Aocaná'

Posted: 14 years ago

2008 for Ojos de Brujo meant lead singer, lyricist and gipsy punk Marina "La Canillas" Abad becoming a mother; some members of the band gigging as Ojos de Brujo Sound System and producing Aocaná, their first new studio album since Techarí in 2006.

Their last show in the UK was in 2007 at a sold out Roundhouse. The Guardian gave the show a 5 star review: "The classy musicianship was matched by the visual effects, with the constant changes in style matched by the witty imagery on the screen behind the stage. This was great European music with a global outlook".

Ojos de Brujo burst onto the UK scene with 2004's "Bari" which Luis Hidalgo of Spain's 'Periodista' describes in his band biography as being: "a promiscuous vision of flamenco and Catalan gipsy rumba" and "when tango and the soleo, la buleria and the rumba went out drinking together with funk, reggae and scratchismo."

Aocaná means "Now" in the Spanish Romany language of caló and the album begins with "Todos Mortales" which is classic Ojos with a base of Catalan Rumba, a memorable melody and a tasty scratchy topping; "Nueva Vida" is a tango/rumba inspired by Marina's recent motherhood. "Dónde te has metío" is a funky rapped rhumba with cajón and scratchismo while "Corre Ve Y Dile" (Run Go Tell Him) is about women and war: "How absorbed the women weave, with black thread and lace adornments, a tapestry of a boy laughing innocent, among grenades and rivers of blood.

The band are over in the UK for three UK dates, starting at the Roundhouse on 27th April as part of the annual La Linea annual latin festival, then heading up to Edinburgh and Liverpool respectively on 30th April and 1st May, with tickets starting at just £15 - available now.

The multi award-winning ODB's previous two albums have garnered them a Latin Grammy as well as many rave reviews, including :

...the year's first great world music album - The Daily Mail (for 'Bari')
Pure joy, dance frenzy and giddy funk course through their rhumba, reggae, tribal and Hindi beats. A vibrant clash of cultures and genres - The Mirror (for 'Bari')
(Bari) gleefully tears up the rule book, setting glittering Spanish guitars against squelchy bass lines, jaw-rattling rap and propulsive break-beats"......"Award-winning stuff indeed - The Guardian
... an eclectically brilliant gypsy stew.... an irresistible new recording -

Observer Music Monthly **** (for 'La Canillas')