For the past four years, Steam Down founder and saxophonist Ahnansé and Mambo Negro Records head and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Michel have been building a musical bridge between their two worlds, creating a beguiling new interpretation of Colombian folk traditions, London jazz and hip-hop.
Mestizo artfully mix Colombian traditions of currulao and cumbia with hip-swaying salsa, head-nodding rap verses, shards of electronica and jazz improvisation. Bringing the London scene’s knack for genre-hopping to bear on a new realm of kinetic sounds, Indigenous traditions are blended with British diaspora music, producing a fusion of Afro-Caribbean rhythms, UK rap flair and percussive intensity.
“We bounced off each other seamlessly, drawing on connections from the Afro-Latin culture that we have in London, as well as exploring new avenues of UK hip-hop and Colombian folk instruments,” says Ahnansé. “It is in the blood of Colombian music to improvise with tradition and so we connected instantly with our different styles,” agrees Daniel, “by the end we all spoke through the music.”
Presented by Bristol Beacon
Standing event
Age: 16+ (Under 18s to be accompanied by an adult)