Las Karamba is a young refreshing band formed by six women hailing
from Venezuela, Cuba, Catalonia, Panama and Argentina – creating a
multicultural and eclectic mix of sounds giving them a unique musical
identity!
The Band was formed in 2018, amidst the chaos, traffic and stress of
the streets of Barcelona. The idea was to blend their talents, and
showcase how women can empower and help each other in conquering their
fears by spreading joy, and by using their music and message as a way to
vindicate the empowerment of women all over the globe.
The fusion of their different cultures creates their strength as they
often mix and explore different musical genres ranging from Cha Cha
Cha, Salsa, Rhumba, Timba and even Hip Hop. They inspire themselves from
past generations of women who championed the fight for equality and
women’s rights.
Through their hard work and determination, in only 2 years, they have
impressively managed to position themselves as one of the leading bands
in Spain, including impressive performances at the Eurosonic
Noorderslag (ESNS) in 2020 – one of the most prestigious business fairs
for music professionals in Europe as well as at the Flawa Festival in
London. They have also conquered the hearts and minds of the Catalan
public with outstanding performances at Bioritme, Clownia, Black Music
Festival and the Esperanzah festival amongst others.
Their lyrics tell the stories and carry the voices of voiceless women
who struggled throughout the years: those strong figures that history
did not glorify and kept in the shadows – these stories, and much more,
are told in their upcoming album “Camino Asi” (Guspira Records 2021),
literally translated “I walk like this”.
The album debuts with “Presentes”, an obvious declaration of intent
through the musicalization of the homonymous poem by Guisela Lopez,
which emphasizes their values, their objectives and principals to the a
rhumba rhythm, and sets the tone for the rest of the album.
As mentioned, one of the main issues approached on the project is
gender equality, as Las Karamba tell us the story of “Margarita”, a
grandmother who longs for freedom. On “No Sabe Nah”, they take a more
assertive position, and together with the singer Paula Grande, they sing
an ode to female empowerment on a trap-influenced instrumental, which
shows their versatility of their talent and the diversity of the sounds
on the album.
Another characteristic of the band is their perseverance, which is
reflected upon the track “Voy Subiendo” with the collaboration of Yuri
Hernandez on the Trumpet and Albert Costa on the Trombone.
In “Pasa la Pagina”, they take as example a toxic relationship,
doomed to failure, and encourage everyone to break free of fears and
mental chains which are holding each one back from reaching their full
potential and exploring all the amazing opportunities that life has to
offer. The band encourages the listener to look optimistically towards
the future and that every obstacle can overcome.
On “Basta Ya”, Las Karamba sheds light on (and dismantles) the social
pressures and supposed dogmas of our patriarcal society in order to
succeed in life. Also they remind everyone to focus on what is most
important, love, on the beautiful “El Beso” track. In “Sabana” they do a
reflection on the frenetic rhythm of the life that we lead in the
modern world. Also the main reason why Las Karamba invite you to take
time out to “relax” with their album “Camino Asi”, and to take some time
out to forget about your fears and stresses for a little while, and
deciding to see the world in another light, with your own rules,
following the tempo of your feelings
