Fiesta, Que Viva represents the earliest recordings by members of the Meridian Brothers, Frente Cumbiero, Los Piranas, Ondatropica, Asdrubal, and others while they were rebellious students at Bogota's Javeriana University during the late 1990s. The first of two ensembles (most of the players are in both), Ensamble Polifónico Vallenato was brought together to play a riotous form of vallenato based on the roots stuff of the '40s and '50s. The band was an exercise in political and cultural rebellion: the university curriculum only taught classical and jazz, while the popular airwaves were full of what would become vallenato romantico. The half of this album features accordion and voice(s) in the classic call-and-response style, accompanied by rhythm and other instruments (guitars, saxophone) which all play dissonantly. But the tunes -- each loosely based on a style, entitled "Son," "Cumbia," "Merengue," etc., are reflections of rhythmic and formal tropes with many liberties taken. As chaotic as it may seem, this music is tight, akin in spirit to punk rock, but far more sophisticated -- check "Merengue" and "Puya." The most rocking number on this half is "Chandath," an orgy of percussion, accordion, guitar, bass, and group vocals. The second band, Sexteto de la Constelacion de Colombia, was formed by Eblis Alvarez (later of the Meridian Brothers) with most of the same players. The music was inspired by older folk styles from of the Colombian coast lines but isn't played reverently. The accordion was replaced by electric guitars and a drum kit, which aren't traditional (in keeping with the spirit of these musicians), but the gaitas and canos de millo flutes are. Each member played a different instrument on every song. The drums provide a centering, circular rhythm, while flutes reveal folkloric influences, and also psychedelic ones. There are other sounds here, too: check out the interplay between the drums, flutes, saxophone, and funky guitars on "Pa Abajo." This is where improvisational rock meets free jazz. The second, "Puya," sounds like what would happen if Miles Davis' On the Corner was cut in Colombia using field rhythms as vamps. Trumpet and saxophone dialogue darkly while distorted bass and spacy wah-wah guitar, claves, and drums create flowing rhythms. The title track is too brief but feels very much like the music that Henry Threadgill was making with Very Very Circus. Fiesta, Que Viva is remarkably clean sonically. Staubgold have done a remarkable job in bringing these truly visionary recordings to light. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi

1		Intro
2		Son
3		Cumbia
4		Puya
5		Merengue
6		Chandeath
7		Pa Abajo
8		Muerte Lenta (Logística y Procedimientos para la Epidemia)
9		Puya (Mayami Brass)
10		Fiesta, Que Viva La

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