Frente Cumbiero Shares First Single From New Album 'Inconcreto & Asociados'

The pioneering psychedelic Cumbia quartet from Bogotá, Frente Cumbiero, will release a new album, Inconcreto y Asociados, on May 7. The announcement is accompanied by a new single ‘Negro Gato’, the band’s version of the classic Brazilian track that was made famous by Roberto Carlos.

The song was a pillar of the Jovem Guarda movement in Brazil in the 1960’s. “He had some amazing rock and roll albums, one of which is “Negro Gato”, which is a song that’s always intrigued me and that I always carry in my case of 45’s. I play it a lot when I DJ,” says Mario Galeano of Frente Cumbiero.

This version was made for the dance floor- faster and more frenetic, with a bit of humor and irony thrown in. The original song is about a neglected cat, and Frente Cumbiero takes it a bit further, placing that cat in the urban madness that is Bogotá, following it as it escapes the dangers of the street and survives amidst the chaos. “Things happen to it on Avenida Caracas, or it goes to look for a bone in an oven,” says Galeano, pointing to a characteristic scene in the Colombian capital.

The band collaborated with Mauricio ‘Batori’ Pardo on the lyrics. A recognizable figure in Bogotá’s music scene since the 90’s, Pardo is known for his work with Papaya Republik.
Frente Cumbiero is Mario Galeano, Pedro Ojeda, Juan Sebatián Rozo, and Marco Fajardo. Together, they’ve become pillars of the new Colombian sound. Frente Cumbiero has played on stages across the world including Festival Estéreo Picnic, Roskilde, Womad, Fuji Rock, and Bahidorá. The band will be taking the show on the road, with a U.S. tour starting May 14 in Brooklyn at Elsewhere.