Campodonico

Campodonico is my new solo project. My name is Humberto Campodonico and I'm a 31 year old Belgian-Peruvian musician, singer and songwriter. For 10 years I was the leader of one of the most important rock bands in Peru, called Turbopotamos. We have released 4 LPs and 2 EPs. In 2004, our first album was voted Album of the year. We opened for REM, Oasis, Travis in Lima for crowds of up to 40,000 and also toured in Peru, Brazil and Argentina.

This year, I left the band in order to record a solo album. My goal is to be able to live as a recording and touring artist outside Peru.

I am a self trained musician since 10 years old. I play guitar, bass, organ, piano and harmonica. I also produce, record and mix.

Apart from producing the albums of my band I have produced the rockabilly album "Destino Negro" (2007) by Peruvian band Vaselina. I also wrote and performed the music for the documentary "Los Topos" in 2009. Also my songs have been featured in several movies, in Mexico and Peru.

I have managed a small label called Discos Gordos since 2007 and we have issued 6 albums by 4 bands in the styles of rock, garage, rockabilly and blues.

I have a deep love for early rock'n'roll, blues, country, motown, soul and folk but I also like punk, indie and computer beats. I have had a deep obsession with Jerry Lee Lewis since I was a kid. The themes on this album are inspired by the South in the 50's as I imagine it, the "devil's music" and the honky tonk bars by the river.
I recorded the 14 songs of my upcoming album "Waxahachie" in my home studio playing all the instruments. The album was mixed in Lima and is yet to be mastered.
What sets this project apart is that, having build a rock musical career in Peru, which is an unlikely place to do so, I have incorporated many musical and thematic elements that may be uncommon in less "exotic places". The kind of music I was trying to do with my old band for the Peruvian music market was too specific. The contrast between this particular and insular vision of that music and the original setting where it was born is what I am looking for. How will Americans respond to Peruvian indie folk is what I am wondering.

I have not yet performed this new project live. The live band consists of myself on guitar, bass and keyboards and two other musicians who play guitar, bass, keyboards, kick drum, xilofone, melodica and ProTools beats.