Sometimes life can feel pretty overwhelming. Relationships fail, work can be stressful and exhausting, social obligations are often stifling. I was suffering from all of those troubles back in July 2009. But one of my favourite South American bands was coming to Toronto on a Wednesday night and I planned on dancing. But when the date arrived and Novalima rolled into the Lula Lounge, I was so exhausted and dejected that I thought I would just spend the night at home and go to bed.
But inner turmoil and the fear of missing a great show got the better of me. I dragged my ass to the concert, vowing to ‘just stay for a couple of songs’. But once in the club, the energy was infectious. Immediately I was caught up in the passion and fever that the band was channeling. Listening to music can be cathartic, but when you combine music with dance you take the catharsis to the next level. All my stress, obligation and exhaustion evaporated on the sweaty, writhing dance floor. Novalima’s sound is built on rhythm and percussion and their music is made for transcendent grooving.
See if you feel the groove in this Novalima tune, "Machete"
Here’s another great tune, "Coba Guarango"
As their name suggests, Novalima are from Peru and they are interpreting Afro-Peruvian music in a new way. When African slaves were brought to Peru, they brought their rhythms with them. They’ve remained an oppressed minority in Peru, but there is a movement to instill pride in their culture. Novalima blend the old and the new, playing traditional Afro-Peruvian rhythms but with programmed beats and a DJ. Their music isn’t static. It’s evolving, but it maintains its Afro-Peruvian heart.
Novalima has a new album called Karimba. The first single from new album is called “Festejo.” Check out this video recorded in a shipping warehouse. The setting seems appropriate for music that emerged from the ports of Lima hundreds of years ago.
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