Regina’s Andino Suns is gearing up to release their sophomore album It’s Time To Rise on May 9, 2014 with a concert at The Exchange - 8PM. The Bureau, a local jazz/hip-hop group, will open up the evening.
It’s Time to Rise sees Andino Suns having changed the fabric of their sound and offer up a fresh and exciting listen. While maintaining the upbeat Latin rhythms of their debut self-titled album (2013), It’s Time to Rise is an exploration into new territory and genres, including rock, reggae and the sounds of Eastern Europe. Weaving together deep, melodic and soulful grooves, soaring vocals, impossibly catchy Latin-flavoured hooks and hypnotic rhythms, Andino Suns seamlessly melds together English and Spanish lyrics into anthems that translate into get-on-your- feet-and-party songs.
The music simmers with earthy tones and soulful melodies, and there is a decidedly political tone amidst the instrumentation. The song “It’s Time to Rise” calls for solidarity with the marginalized and social justice movements in Latin America while “La Jaula” speaks to how treaties limited the freedoms of the First Nations of the plains.
With the band members being prairies-dwellers by heart, the album is also very much rooted in Saskatchewan. The track, “Dreaming”, is a hopeful, sweet song influenced by the band’s upbringing in the flatlands and the members’ roots in folk music.
“Our upbringing in the prairies allowed us to explore multi-cultural sounds in an environment that was most supportive. The prairies have a spirit of inclusiveness and tolerance,” says lead-singer and multi-instrumentalist Andres Davalos.
Recorded at Touchwood Studios and mixed and mastered at Retrosleep Studios, both located in Regina, the album was generously funded by Rawlco Radio’s 10K20 program.
Andino Suns began when Chilean-Canadians Andres and Pablo Davalos and Andres Palma started building a band based off of the traditional Latin music of their childhood. Along with Pablo’s son Antonio, as well as brothers Leif Mehlsen and Erik Mehlsen, the band released their debut self-titled album in 2013, and has since made appearances at high-profile festivals such as JUNOFest, Ness Creek Music Festival, Gateway Music Festival and the Cold Snap Music Festival. With the addition of drummer Brian Warren and their new album, they are set to take the stage at 2014’s Regina Folk Festival and the Sasktel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival in addition to venues throughout western Canada.
For more information on Andino Suns, visit: www.andinosuns.com
