Black Sugar
Lima, Provincia de Lima, Peru | Established. Jan 01, 1970
Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Black Sugar is a funky Latin-rock band from Peru, mercifully reissued for a latter-day audience by Lazarus Audio Products. "Viajecito" is the essential track -- the waka-waka guitar intro is the main attraction, although the basic track is funky, Latin, and mostly instrumental. "The Looser" and "Funky Man" also are hip, but lyrics on the corny side keep them from heavy play. The lead-in tracks on each side, "Too Late" and "Understanding," are solid, and the rest are decent ballads. Although the singing is not the greatest, the acoustic guitar and conga interplay on the lighter tracks sound like something from Sabu Martinez' Groovin' with Sabu album. "Pussy Cat" is an ambitious jazz instrumental; with its Latin percussion, funky bass, and strings (not to mention the title), it could have been a cut from one of the better "blaxploitation" soundtracks. Black Sugar may not change many lives, but it does occupy a vital corner in the rare world of Latin funk. - Tony Wilds
Discography
"Black Sugar" 1971 Sono Radio
"Black Sugar II" 1974 Sono Radio
Photos
Bio
Peruvian band founded in 1970, pioneers in fusing rock, jazz and funk with Latin rhythms. The band's vinyl releases "Black Sugar" (1971) and "Black Sugar II" (1974) are among the most valued by collectors. In 2011, the band reunited with the idea of bringing back its original sound. Pacho Carlos Mejia, the band's emblematic voice, and the band's strong horn section formed by Antonio Ginocchio, Luis Calixto & Carlos Espinoza, are complemented by new young musicians to achieve this goal.
Black Sugar´s current members are Carlos "Pacho" Mejia (vocals), Antonio Ginocchio (trumpet), Luis Calixto (trombone), Carlos Espinoza (saxophone), Jose Pablo Menajovsky (guitar), Angel Rafaeli (keyboards), Sergio Lopez (bass), Ruben Guzman (drums) and Luis Ernesto Tohara (congas).
Band Members
Links
