Bomba Estéreo - Amanecer (2015)

Where their sophomore release Estalla (Blow Up) established Bomba Estéreo as high-voltage electro-cumbia heavyweights, their third album Elegancia Tropical (2012) looked inward. It was in many ways the period of spiritual incubation that’s allowed for the sort of freer pop expressions of Amanecer. Recorded between LA and Bogotá, Amanecer marks the first time Bomba Estéreo have worked with outside producers; chiefly Ricky Reed, who produced Jason Derulo’s “Talk Dirty” and worked on Pitbull’s Globalization.

In various interviews, Bomba’s core duo—vocalist Liliana Saumet and keyboardist/bassist Simón Mejía—have talked about creating an album with more “global” appeal. “Global,” in this case, seems to have meant a combination of glossier production; heftier, in-your-face poppiness; and moments that can justifiably be labeled EDM. This time, the Caribbean and Afro-Colombian elements of Bomba’s musical identity serve more often as accents than anchors. You can still hear the band’s particular brand of tropical bass though, which they call “tropical elegance”; it lives in the tambor alegre rhythms, the occasional champeta-style guitar, the bass, of course. But ultimately, what propels the album is a new, more open sense of love.

It’s a celebration, really. It feels a lot like a beachside party that begins late and goes early, moving from night to day, from clubbier dance tracks to poppier love songs. In that respect, Amanecer, meaning “dawn,” plays out like its title suggests. There’s a lot of variation within that transition as well. “Somos Dos”, a few tracks in, is essentially a sped-up kizomba number with a deep house vibe—kizomba being the slow, sensual Angolan popular music made for dancing really close. On “Fiesta”, by contrast, a Carnaval de Baranquilla parade comes crashing through. Carnival drums alternate with dubstep interludes, in a way that’s reminiscent of Dutch-Curaçaoan tropical rave band Kuenta i Tambú (K i T), though with less steam-rolling energy and more breathing room.

There is a sort of breeziness that buoys this album. The lyrics on “Voy”, like on much of the album, are simple but reflective, centering on love and partying, but also self-growth and positivity. And Saumet makes it a point to shout out her hometown of Santa Marta and surrounding cities like Barranquilla. They’re Caribbean coastal centers that maintain strong ties to the Black Atlantic and African Diaspora, which the band actually seem to explore more on Amanecer than on past records. Sounds like Colombian gaita flutes and shangaan electro-esque kalimbas flicker in and out of the more mainstream musical framework.

That wider musical palette strips down about halfway through, on the meditative and aptly titled “Algo Está Cambiando”—“Something is Changing.” Pop songs like “To’ My Love” and “Mar (Lo Que Siento)” daydream about possible futures with a lover. At times, the sweetness can verge on cloying, cheesy even (i.e. blippy lazer gun sounds, rote EDM drops). But Saumet’s sincerity makes up for it.

In fact, Saumet’s conviction does a lot of the emotional work on Amanecer, all the way through to the last moments: in a downtempo track reminiscent of Andean folktronica, Saumet expresses a return to the earth. “Soy hija de la tierra,” she sings. I’m the daughter of the earth. “Tengo adentro lo que quiero.” I have what I want within me. Maybe it’s a foreshadowing of what’s to come for Bomba Estéreo, a return to their roots from their go at bigger pop.

Tracklist:
1. Amanecer (4:09)
2. Caderas (2:56)
3. Somos Dos (4:00)
4. Soy Yo (2:40)
5. Fiesta (3:39)
6. Voy (3:16)
7. Algo Está Cambiando (4:30)
8. Ma (Lo Que Siento) (3:50)
9. To My Love (4:00)
10. Sólo Tú (4:15)
11. Raíz (3:39)