Cilantro Boombox
Austin, Texas, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2010 | SELF
Music
Press
Prior to Friday night’s performance at Spiderhouse Ballroom as part of a Good Music Club taping curated by Austin Vida magazine I hadn’t seen Cilantro Boombox in over two years. At the time, I found the band’s blend of reggae, pop and Latin music intriguing if not mind-blowing. I was not at all prepared for the eight-piece powerhouse that deployed explosive brass and mighty rhythm to demolish an hour-long set at Spiderhouse Ballroom on Friday night.
“I’d have to say that we’ve had the current musicians for a little over a year now. But the version you saw last night, which I like to call Cilantro 2.0, was introduced mid December,” trombonist/vocalist Chris “Zumbi” Richards said on Saturday morning.
The band recently ditched the computer they were using to construct grooves in favor of a “more organic” sound. The move paid off in a big way. Throughout the set, the four-piece horn section delivered a wall of sound. Polyrhythmic patterns from a duo of drummers and the bombastic bass work of Félix Pacheco issued an indomitable rallying cry to the hundreds of fans who braved the cold and rain to dance with abandon in the steamy Spiderhouse Ballroom.
The band recently ditched the computer they were using to construct grooves in favor of a “more organic” sound. The move paid off in a big way. Throughout the set, the four-piece horn section delivered a wall of sound. Polyrhythmic patterns from a duo of drummers and the bombastic bass work of Félix Pacheco issued an indomitable rallying cry to the hundreds of fans who braved the cold and rain to dance with abandon in the steamy Spiderhouse Ballroom.
Though there’s no major recording on the horizon, the band’s profile is rapidly rising. “Our 2015 plans, so far, are to add new songs to our repertoire, create a few music videos, and get on the festival circuit,” Richards said. - Austin 360
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
Drawing from diverse musical backgrounds, Austin's Cilantro Boombox creates an energetic, positive vibe that flows from the dance floor to the soul. Initially a casual collaboration between bassist Félix Pacheco and saxophonist Joe Woullard (of Black Joe Lewis and Ocote Soul Sounds), the duo blossomed into a working unit with the addition of Andres Villegas (Guitar, vocals) and Christopher "Zumbi" Richards (Trombone, Vocals). Subsequently bolstered by Joshua Thomson (alto sax), Micah Shalom (trumpet), Jason Murdy (percussion), and Eduardo Torres (drums), Cilantro’s explosive sound merges elements of Latin, Pan-African, brass bands, and electronic musics in a unique flavor as bold as its namesake.
The band's eponymous, 11-track debut album was self-released in 2012, followed by the single, “Fears Away,” in 2014. Every song, chord, and lyric of Cilantro Boombox’s repertoire lifts the crowd up; their contagious energy is hard to surpass, even amidst the worthy, diverse competition of the Austin live music scene.
A seasoned ensemble, Cilantro has quickly won a local following from strong showings at numerous shows and festivals such as SXSW, Utopia Fest, KUTX’s Summer Jam, and Austin Reggae Fest. They have notably opened for Willie Nelson and Café Tacvba at ACL live and Los Amigos Invisibles at House of Blues Dallas and Austin's Belmont. Their growing list of accolades includes a feature in the Austin-American Statesman, selection as one of NPR’s favorite songs of 2014 (Fears Away), and a single premier on MTV Iggy.
Band Members
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