Novalima - Planetario '2015

Tracks list

Started by four friends from Lima with a shared passion for traditional
Afro-Peruvian music and global DJ culture, Novalima stands in the common ground
bridging past and future, uniting tradition and innovation.

From their humble beginnings, file-sharing musical ideas and producing their
first album in separate countries at the dawn of the internet, Novalima is now a
live musical force revered worldwide for breaking boundaries and uniting
seemingly irreconcilable genres, communities, and generations. They have created
an inspiring movement and revolutionized the music scene in their native Peru by
bridging a longstanding divide between the mainstream and the minority
Afro-Peruvian community, who have struggled against discrimination and cultural
dissolution for generations.

During their career, Novalima has garnered worldwide critical acclaim from
mainstream (NPR, UK Guardian, Wall Street Journal, La Presse, Metro, Billboard)
and underground media (Giant Step, Remezcla, Sounds & Colors, Nat Geo) alike,
delivered legendary performances around the world at festivals such as Roskilde,
WOMAD, Pirineos Sur, NYC Central Park, Montreal Jazz Festival and
Chicago’s Millennium Park, earned a Latin Grammy nomination for Best
Alternative Album, and were featured in cult filmmaker Robert Rodriguez’s
hit Mexploitation movie Machete.

While their sound is futuristic and cutting-edge, the roots of Novalima’s
music reach back hundreds of years. In a far-too familiar tale, African slaves
were brought to Peru as early as the 1500s until the middle of the 19th Century,
establishing an outpost of the African-Diaspora on the Pacific coast of South
America. Over the years, the soul and rhythms of Africa melded with the melodies
and instruments of Europe and the Andes. The result is rich musical repertoire
that existed for generations on the periphery of Peruvian popular culture.

The founders of Novalima, Ramon Perez-Prieto, Grimaldo Del Solar, Rafael
Morales, and Carlos Li Carrillo, became friends and started playing together in
Lima during their high school years, playing a pivotal part in the 80s
underground hardcore punk, and the 90s psychedelic/acid-rock scenes. As children
of artists and intellectuals, Ramon, Grimaldo, Rafael and Carlos were well
educated and well traveled, and while they listened to traditional Peruvian folk
music regularly in family reunions and in the street, they relentlessly explored
new sounds in Rock, Dub Reggae, Latin and Electronic Music, which became grounds
for their own discovery.

During their early experimentations blending Afro-Peruvian sounds with
electronica, the four founders were living in different parts of the world. From
their homes in London, Barcelona, Hong Kong, and Lima, they emailed song ideas
to each other. These long-distance recordings resulted in their 2002 debut
album, the self-titled Novalima.

The reception to the album exceeded their wildest expectations, eventually
reaching platinum sales status in Peru, and for their next album they invited
more Afro-Peruvian musicians to join their recording sessions. The outcome was
Afro, an album that was released worldwide in 2006 to tremendous acclaim and put
Novalima on the international music map. The London Metro Evening Standard
raved, “Novalima has more than succeeded in bringing the spirit and soul
of Peruvian blues into the 21st century.” Afro held the #1 spot on the US
College Music Journal Latin Alternative and New World Radio Charts for ten weeks
combined.

Soon after Afro was released, the founders returned to Lima and invited top
Afro-Peruvian musicians to join Novalima making it a true band, setting the
groundwork for live musical creation and intensive global touring.

On their 2009 album Coba Coba, released on the acclaimed world music label
Cumbancha, Novalima expanded the critically-acclaimed formula they developed and
took their inspiring fusion in new and exciting directions by delving further
into the African diaspora and bringing influences from reggae, dub, salsa,
hip-hop, afrobeat and Cuban son. In anticipation of the band’s acclaimed
2009 US and European tour, they released Coba Coba Remixed, featuring exclusive
remixes by top DJs and producers including Da Lata, Zeb, Faze Action, Seiji,
Boozou Bajou, Haaksman, and more. At the same time, a stunning music video for
the band’s song “Coba Guarango” was featured on the homepage
of YouTube and quickly amassed well over 100,000 plays in 24 hours.

After two years of constant touring, the band gathered in their home studio in
Lima to record and mix the album Karimba that took Novalima’s sound into
new places. They introduced both new sounds and traditional rhythms like the
Panalivio, Zamacueca, Ingá and Tondero, while maintaining their distinctive
afro and dub sound. Their reputation at home allowed them to work with the top
traditional musicians in the city, inviting vocalists Pepe Vasquez, Rosita
Guzman, and Sofia Buitron as well as guitarists Roberto Arguedas and Felix
Casaverde (former guitarist of Chabuca Granda), in addition to members of the
live band.

Karimba was released on ESL Music (Thievery Corporation) and garnered astounding
accolades from NPR, Giant Step, Nat Geo Music and more, while also topping the
iTunes World Music Chart and cracking the Top 10 Billboard World Music Chart.
After the release, Novalima embarked on a worldwide tour that took them to
stages in USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Latin American throughout
2012 – 2014.

In 2013 the band released Karimba Diabolic Remixes, through Brooklyn’s
Wonderwheel Recordings, hand selecting some of their favorite remixers including
Seiji (UK), Da Lata (UK), Jeremy Sole (US), DJ Smash (US), DJ Sabo (US),
Thievery Corporation’s Rob Garza, Nickodemus, and more to re-interpret
Karimba with their own vision.

During 2014 and 2015 Novalima recorded their newest album, Planetario slated for
release on Wonderwheel Recordings on June 16th. The album’s name points
to Novalima’s continued growth and many international connections
– much of the album was recorded on tour when they collaborated with top
local and international musicians. There is a strong connection to Colombia
created through a remarkable recording session in Bogota organized by members of
La-33 including Sidestepper vocalist Eka Muñoz, Pernett and La Mamba Negra.
The album also brings in artists from around the world such as Marc de Clive
Lowe (UK/NZ), Panko from Ojos de Brujo, and Kumar (Cuban rapper based in BCN).

Remixes from the Planetario are already under way with Jose Marquez, Chris
Annibell, Dengue Dengue Dengue, Captain Planet, The Spy from Cairo & more lined
up to put their spin on these new tracks.



Tracklist:
01. Novalima - Como Yo
02. Novalima - Beto Kele
03. Novalima - Santero
04. Novalima - Tinkalamina
05. Novalima - Memekume
06. Novalima - Mi Canto
07. Novalima - San Antonio
08. Novalima - Madretierra
09. Novalima - Copa de Manana
10. Novalima - Hoy Dia
11. Novalima - Quebranto

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