Bio Ritmo is the first and last word in a salsa fusion. They’ve spent two decades modifying a sound that transcends salsa music. It’s a little Nuyorican. It’s a little bomba. It’s a little calypso. It’s a little samba.
On December 30, Bio Ritmo will ordain all these sounds live at the Black Cat.
On the Electric Cowbell Records label, Bio Ritmo is delighted to see the release of La Verdad, the band’s first 12’’ vinyl release. Marlysse Simmons, the band’s pianist and contributing writer, gave me the lowdown on the post-salsa movement, the qualitative distinctions of Latin music, and the bright future of the vinyl medium.
Ms. Simmons came on board Bio Ritmo nearly a decade ago. “We’re based out of Richmond, Virginia. The last 10 years of [the band] is the band line-up today. Since 2002, when I joined and Rei Alvarez – the founder – rejoined, we’ve become a core group and the mission of our band is salsa music, but not its attachment to any scene. Instead, we take the beats and rhythms and incorporate different forms.”
Marlysse spoke of Puerto Rican bandleader, Rafael Cortijo and his influence on the album. “We covered “Carnaval” from his album Time Machine from 1974 and we did our own version of it. And a lot people thought it was our own.” Cortijo’s original version uses the traditional clave rhythm. She describes Bio Ritmo’s version as “crazy.” The intro is a harmonic blathering of African and Latin rhythms, then breaks into spastic progressions, like Cortijo at cutthroat tempo. She made it plain. “La Verdad was the title cut because it was everyone favorite song. So we decided to call the whole album ‘the truth,’ ‘La Verdad.”
Bio Ritmo – Carnival
Bio Ritmo’s creative process is a “family” effort. “The combination of the band – its main songwriters – are the lead singer, myself, the timbali player and the trombone player. We’ll come together with ideas for a song, then go to the full band where it happens in a community way.” Ms. Simmons says the band performs by the guiding force of the bandleader. But she insists, “we have so much respect for each other musically that if we fight, we’re a family, we work it out because we really believe in the music that we’re doing.”
Salsa music saw its golden age in vinyl distribution. When Ms. Simmons and I talked about the rise in vinyl production and sales, she gave props to the young generation that has given the medium headway and renewed relevance. “They get it.”
An audiophile herself, Ms. Simmons says matter-of-factly, ”I don’t know what it’s like to not be into vinyl records. Most DJs that I know deejay on vinyl. But we’re still waiting for that threshold for vinyl [awareness].” In comparison to digital formats, “it’s overwhelming to manage all of those files on your computer. People are appreciating vinyl more. There’s hunger. Put the shit on vinyl!”
A lot of Afro-Latin lyrical storytelling comes from the voice of the working-class, the underprivileged. Marlysse agreed with me. I mentioned the song, “Shoe Shine” and what the real meaning of the song is. “The lyrics, by Rei, come from the perspective of introspection. If can understand the poetics of the song, you’ll get the double-meaning. Because there is one. When you shine your shoes, you’re preparing for the day. But to Rei, you’re preparing for life. You’re preparing yourself for all the obstacles of life. And here’s how it goes. So, yes, I comes from a working-class perspective because it’s a struggle to be an artist.”
Alma Tropicalia will open for Bio Ritmo.
Bio Ritmo added their own spin to a classic song, “Carnaval.” Have you heard a Spanish rendition of an American song you like? My favorite is the Gypsy Kings’ cover of “Hotel California” by the Eagles. Share yours for a chance to win La Verdad on vinyl plus tickets to the show on Friday, December 30!
We’ll choose one winner for both on Tuesday, 12/27!
