Combo Xingu - Xingu LP

Combo Xingu - Xingu LP (Musica & Entretenimiento/Spain)

Listening Notes: The Latin American funk record record opens up with a very familiar funk bass line. It borrows (insert clearing of the throat here) HEAVILY from Herbie Hancock's "Bring Down the Birds" which most of the world knows as one of the many hooks to Deee-Lite's "Groove is in the Heart". Needless to say it is a fantastic funk number which, in just a few songs later, brings us to a monster fuzz jazz/funk version of "Moby Dick" - yep, as in Led Zep's song. The drum break alone here will bring you to your knees. The record continues on with nods to The Meters and all the obvious American funk classics which brings us to their cover of James Brown's "Hot Pants".

Covers and original material side by side, the whole thing brings the heat and keeps it going until the very end which is a brassy, swinging take of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" (Nina Simone/Animals). The interesting twist to this record is when the band isn't being one of the best hard funk groups, they transform into a serious hard rock tribute band that covers both the soft and harder sides of the genre.

Mood: Slaying a dancefloor with something folks don't know, but recognize fire when they feel it from head to toe.

They Say:

Reissue, originally released in 1972. In days of high politicization of music, the so-called new song was undoubtedly the one that monopolized the media. In that environment appears the Combo Xingu, a band far from the Latin Americanist line and political ebullition, took elements of soul and funk to build this jewel mostly ignored at the time, which is his only legacy. Stevie Wonder and James Brown are their most notorious references, but they also bring their own personality and elements, especially in the song "Black Power", as the band's position. It is also worth mentioning a memorable interpretation of Led Zeppelin's classic "Moby Dick". Far from the conjunctural, the band dissolves with only two years and one album to their credit, separated from the mainstream by a style that although it was very popular in the north, was of null diffusion in Chile, but they leave this unique piece as a sample of other bands that would come years later to continue their legacy, ahead for the times. Combo Xingu was a short-lived band formed by students of the Chilean university of music, and ex members of the Beat Combo in 1971 and their career ended in 1973. They left two very original albums, being the first band to play soul and funk in Chile, with influence of the "nueva canción" and pop-rock touches. And a very powerful sound. From the original IRT masters.