Alegría Rampante

Alegría Rampante reopen dancefloors with 80s pastiche elevated with deft production, oodles of charm and plenty of wit.

“A love song for people terrified of falling in love”, is how lead Rampante, Eduardo Alegría, describes his band’s brand spanking new – and easy to fall in love with – single, “Como en la radio” (Like on the radio).

Released just in time for Puerto Rico’s easing of Covid-19 protecting measures, the song recalls the dancefloors of yore while inviting you to boogie oogie oogie, whether it be in your undies at home or sweating it up with a throng of vaxxed scenesters at your local, about-to-be-reopened, night club.

Anchored to a slinky bassline and programmed party beat, “Como en la radio” marks a new musical direction for the band, currently hard at work on their second record.

In lesser hands a “light” summer dance tune like this one might read as a throwaway effort, but Alegría Rampante elevates this 80s pastiche with deft production (by band bassist Juan Antonio Arroyo), oodles of charm and plenty of wit.

The lyrics reference popular love songs from past decades, with a wink or two thrown in the mix, like when Eduardo sings “I don’t know who I am anymore / What happened to me? / My principles have lapsed… Like on the radio”, or further into the song where he wishes he could pay payola for an eternity of existing only on the radio.

The band teamed up once more with director Oswaldo Colón Ortiz (“Jirafa”) for the song’s video, which features animation and costume design by Uziel Orlandi Alegría and some badass voguing by Edrimael Delgado.

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