yotoco

Yotoco’s music defies categorization.  It isn’t salsa, son, cumbia, merengue or psychedelic rock; it isn’t rumba, funk, bomba or plena. It draws from all of those traditions, transcends them, and creates something unique, trippy, and extremely danceable. Sebastian Lopez and Natalia Perez’s vocals are authentic and rootsy. Gabo Tomassini’s conga playing is crisp and well-versed in afrolatin music.  Evan Garfield knows exactly when to be understated on the drums, and when to bring the funk.  Natalia Perez’s guacharaca completes a rich percussion section, and combined with Sebastian’s strong bass, they keep the group grounded in contagious rhythms.  To top things off, Crow  takes us on a musical vision quest of masterly guitar-playing.  Occasionally, Crow also takes on bass duties, and we are treated to Sebastian’s accordion, which evokes a traditional parranda in some small town in Colombia, like the town of Yotoco in Valle del Cauca, for which the group is named.  Yotoco’s music may be hard to classify- but it is very easy to party to.

-Ricardo (Tres+Dos) Luiggi