Choroni - Sr. Mendez ft Palenke Soultribe

By Russell Maddicks

Here's a summery tune about the Venezuelan beach town of Choroni by Grammy-Award winning songwriter and producer Aureliano Mendez, who records and performs under the monickers Panasuyo and Sr. Mendez.

Aureliano's exciting mix of traditional Venezuelan folk music, dance, electronica, drum n bass and ragga brought him chart success in Venezuela with his first album "Monte y Culebra" (Scrubland and Snakes"), which included tracks like "Tierra Querida".

Born in Guanare, Portuguesa State, where the influence of Llanero music is strong, he incorporates traditional instruments such as cuatro (four-string guitar) and maracas into tracks made up of live performances, loops and samples.

In 2006 he contributed to a landmark album of remixes of famous tracks by Venezuelan folk legend Simon Diaz.

His biggest triumph so far was winning two Latin Grammys in 2007. One for producing the album "Residente o Visitante" for the Puerto Rican hip-hop group Calle 13 and another for penning "Pa'l Norte" - the hit song from that album (he also sang on the track "Tango del Pecado" performed with Gustavo Santoalalla and Bajofondo).
In 2008, "Residente o Visitante" won the Grammy for best Latin Urban Album.

"Choroni" is a collaboration with the Colombian group Palenke Soultribe and comes from Aureliano's excellent second album "Papa del Panasuyo". The video was produced by Venezuelan director Otto Scheuren.

To listen to audio clips from Papa del Panasuyo visit the Soundcloud page for Sr. Mendez.

Palmeras Kanibales - Venezuelan ska in London

Palmeras Kanibales are a Venezuelan group that fuses reggae, ska and rocksteady with Caribbean rhythms. Catch them on the London leg of their 6th European tour where they will present their new album and play three special gigs: an acoustic session and live Q&A at Bolivar Hall on the 12 August, plus two gigs with all the trimmings at the Hootananny in Brixton on 13 August and the underground warehouse venue Passing Clouds in Dalston, Hackney, on 14 August.

In the meantime, here's a video of the group playing "La Culebra".

Video: Desorden Publico - Monkey Ska

Video: Desorden Publico - New album

Blanquito Man and Celso Piña - El Tren

After a long hiatus that has seen him working on solo projects with Mexican band Control Machete, Puerto Rican rappers Calle 13 and Los Amigos Invisibles (on a cover version of the Fabulosos Cadilacs' "Mal Bicho"), Jose Andres Blanco, AKA Blanquito Man is back with a new King Chango album in the works called "The Return of King Chango".

The rapscalious Venezuelan rude boy also has a new moniker: "Zuzuko, the Generous Giver of Uku Uku".

As a taste of what's to come, here's a cumbia-tastic collaboration Blanquito Man did with Mexican accordion legend Celso Piña from the album "Mundo Colombia".