Bomba Estéreo killed it yesterday at the amazing Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle. This year has been special, been blessed enough to be at SXSW (w/ the band), Bonnaroo (w/ the band), Coachella and Bumbershoot {Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits, you’re next!} I’ve always wanted to come to this festival, especially after visiting Seattle for less than 24 hours last year with the group {great show at The Crocodile!}
Check out this review of the band’s secret stage appearance for KEXP before their festival performance. It was a special and intimate performance for about 70 people in a children’s theater. All I can say is everyone in the room had goosebumps at the mix of folklore/past with electronic washes & glitches {the band has added a lot of new gadgets over the last year to play with}. Can’t say enough about it; the band received a standing ovation! Seriously, KEXP has to be one of the best stations in the world receptive and open to music – and all their DJs are so cool!
Then it was time for the band to play at the Fisher Green stage. It’s so fun to watch the audience at an event that draws all walks of life react to the music – I saw a woman in a trance with the cloud and cumbia gods {foto below}, to an entire family {abuela, abuelo, mom, dad, little kids} just laughing and dancing. It’s so easy, I feel and have seen, for music industry people to fall back and just be jaded about everything. I suppose let’s see if I’m saying that 20 years from now, but no, I will remind myself always to absorb the energy. There’s nothing like experiencing the joy of others through music.
Angelique Kidjo, from Benin, performed after the band. Such an eye opener to see an artist with 20+ plus in the game perform with such zest, attitude and energy. Her percussionists were incredible too! Read up on all her humanitarian work throughout the years – inspiring to say the least. She part of an incredible project by Amnesty International {which used my favorite song by Aterciopelados’ <who were also at Bumbershoot!> ‘Cancion Protesta’): ‘The Price of Silence‘ for Amnesty International {that I play at least once a week}.
Anyhow, watch this video of Bomba performing ‘Raza’ from their album ‘Blow Up‘ from the festival yesterday: