A powerful statement on the healing nature of music, Esotérica Tropical presents her debut album full of catchy mantras, Caribbean rhythms, and electronic production.
Let’s go back some years ago, to a pre-pandemic Puerto Rico – before Hurricane María, even! Back then, I regularly organized music-related events such as concerts and record fairs at a community center in Río Piedras, the district of San Juan that is home to the University of Puerto Rico’s largest campus.
A few days before one of these record fairs, I was asked by the community center’s director (which just so happened to be Gisela Rosario, a.k.a. Puerto Rico indie powerhouse Macha Colón) if I could fit into our event schedule a performance by a harpist who was visiting from California. Her name was María José Montijo and I still remember how the mood in the room shifted as soon as she started singing her spellbinding songs…
You know that moment in a Legend of Zelda game where Link runs into a fairy’s grotto, and they then proceed to magically replenish all of your missing heart pieces? That’s how I felt during María José’s performance that day. Afterwards, I purchased the last CD copy Montijo had on her of the “Estrellas” EP (2014) – to the chagrin of Alegría Rampante’s Eduardo Alegría, who had been similarly drawn to this fellow musician’s aura and raw talent – knowing we would hear again from her in the future.
Ten excruciatingly long years later, María José is back with her first full length project, fresh off a big feature of Chancha Vía Circuito’s latest album. Now performing as Esotérica Tropical, her self-released, self-titled record is a powerful statement on the healing nature of music; a dose of ancient wisdom nudging us into the future with its expert melding of catchy mantras, Caribbean rhythms, and electronic production.
The influence of bomba music runs deep throughout “Esotérica Tropical”, infusing the album with the rhythmic grace and communal spirit of one of Puerto Rico’s most emblematic musical styles.
The collection is further enriched by a roster of producers and players that includes Taller Bombaléle and Jesús “El Tambor Mayor” Cepeda, Bay Area Latin jazz virtuoso Charlie Gurke, Merrill Garbus from Tune-Yards, Argentinian songwriter Juanito El Cantor, and a trio of electronic music masterminds: Luis Maurette (Uji, Lulacruza), Heidi Lewandowski (Kaleema), and Adam Partridge (Atropolis).
¡Despierta! Wake up! This record will brighten your day!
Stream “Esotérica Tropical” LP on Bandcamp and Spotify.
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