Press kit

La-33

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From Bogotá to the world: La-33

[dropcap]W[/dropcap]ith more than a decade, 60 thounsand albumssold and nearly two thousand different presentations in five continents, La-33 has become one of the most influential Colombian salsa orchestras on the international scene.

La-33 began in 2001 when the brothers Sergio and Santiago Mejia assembled a group of musicians to form a salsa band. Interestingly, those who answered the call were not salsa performers, their influences were more urban rhythms like rock, jazz and reggae. The band is also inspired by the New York 70’s format, where the rough and dirty sounds of the city are mixed with Caribbean rhythms retaining a classically trained percussion and introducing winds, as the orchestras from New York, and that dry sound of the saxophone.

The band emerged in Bogotá, the same city that gave birth to most of its members, which gives the band something very especial, due to the fact that, though the Colombian capital have underground spaces for dancers, performers and music lovers, broadcasters and clubs have had this genre a bit neglected.

La-33 began as a dream of friends who wanted to make music. From rehearsing in an old house they quickly managed to play at traditional bars in the city, as Quiebracanto, private parties and small festivals, where they played some famous salsa songs and their own productions like El tornillo de Guillo, Manuela and La pantera mambo, an interpretation of Henri Mancini´s classic which mark the history of the band.

In 2004, they recorded their debut album, La-33, with which it was inserted forcefully in Colombian salsa scene with songs like Soledad, La pantera mambo and Qué rico boogaloo. But it was not an easy process: without the backing of a record company the album began to move out of the radial circuit and it was distributed independently.

La-33 quickly realized that it wouldn’t be the industry who’ll define the music they play. The band seeks to position itself more as a musical movement in which the personal transitions of each of the band members are reflected on the music they play. Love, heartbreak, and desire to live and to dance.

In 2005 the band began a phase of tours that started in Ecuador and culminated in 2006 in Europe. 2007 was an important year for La-33. The band had already shocked the international public and was listed in nightclubs all around the world. The release of the second album, Gózalo, shows a more experimental side with fusions of latin jazz, Caribbean rhythms and genres like rock.

Ten cuidado, the third album, contains 11 singles including Roxanne, a cover of the English rock band The Police showing the rocker side of the majority of the band members. This work also takes classic rhythms of boogaloo, mambo and funk, returning to classic salsa format.

For this time La-33 is already positioned in Colombia as one of the most important salsa bands. Their music plays in clubs, broadcasts and major concerts, on which they have shared the stage with artists such as Willie Colon, Los Van Van, Roberto Roena , Joe Arroyo, Cheo Feliciano, Moby and Kinky. They have rock the stages of festivals like Tempo Latino (France), Roskilde Festival (Denmark) and Boonnaroo (United States) among others.

Tumbando por ahí is the fourth studio album of La-33. The album, which was released in 2013, shows the musical maturity of the band. For the first time the band has the participation of a producer and it was recorded in block, the musicians playing at the same time in one place. Richard Blair, musical producer and the leader of Sidestepper, managed to pick up the sound and power of their live performances.

Above all, Tumbando por ahí is an ae album also yla talla de peroikeich gives the band something very especiel,partido escenario con artistas d ela talla de pero honest work, demonstrating that for more than a decade the band has been experimenting and reinventing their music, giving the public all their energy.

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VIDEOS

Documental Tumbando por ahí

Guayabo

Reina del swing

Roxanne

Bye-Bye

Funky boogaloo

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GALLERY

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DISCOGRAPHY

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Músicos
Sergio Mejia: Bajo , dirección y arreglos
Santiago Mejía: Piano acústico
Guillermo Celis: Voz
David Cantillo ( Malpelo): Voz
Diego Sánchez: Bongoes y coros
Cipriano Rojas ( Ciro): Congas
Juan David Fernandez(Palo): Timbal
Roland Nieto: Trompeta
Felipe Cárdenas: Saxo tenor
Vladimir Romero: trombón
Jose Miguel Vega (profe): Trombón
Producido por La-33. Producción ejecutiva: La-33
Producción musical: La-33
Ingeniero de grabación y mezcla: Mauricio Cano
Masterizacion: Mauricio González
Grabado en los estudios de Audiovisión. Bogotá/ Colombia, septiembre de 2004.
Diseño Gráfico: Gaspar Guerra
Fotografía : Cecilia Rocca, Hernán Ospina , Jorge Villate.

Descarga «Soledad»

Descarga» La Pantera Mambo»

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Músicos
Sergio Mejia bajo / dirección
Santiago Mejia piano / producción
Guillermo Celis Voz
David Cantillo ( Malpelo) Voz
Pablo Martinez Voz
Cipriano Rojas ( Ciro) Congas
Juan David Fernandez ( Palo) Timbal
Diego Sanchez Bongoes
Juan Felipe Cardenas – Saxo
Roland Nieto Trompeta
Vladimir Romero Trombón
Jose Miguel Vega ( El profe) Trombón bajo
Producción y sonido
Javier Galavis- Ingenieria de sonido
Ray Fuquen – Productor de campo
Carlos Cadena- Stage Manager
Equipo Visual
Cecilia Rocca – Fotografa
Gaspar Guerra- Concepto visual
Leonardo Diaz- Diseño Gráfico
Sebastian Bravo- Diseño web
Maria Paola Reyna – Audiovisuales y VJ
Maria Clara Garcia – Audiovisuales
Julian Velandia – Audiovisuales
Grabado y mezclado en los estudios de Audiovisión, Bogotá, Colombia entre Febrero y Julio de 2007 por Mauricio Cano. Masterizado en Sterling Sound,NY, Estados Unidos en Julio de 2008 por Leon Zervos. Producido por La-33.

Descarga «bye-Bye»

Descarga «La Rumba Buena»

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Musicos
Sergio Mejia Direccion y Bajo
Santiago Mejia Piano
Guillermo Celis voz
David Cantillo voz
Pablo Martinez voz
Cipriano Rojas conga
Juan David Fernadez Timbal
Diego Sanchez Bongos
Juan F Cardenas Saxo Tenor y Saxo Soprano
Roland Nieto Trompeta
Vladimir Romero Trombon
Jose Miguel Vega Trombon
Una producción de La-33
-Grabado y Mezclado en los estudios de Audiovision , Bogota,Colombia entre Agosto y octubre de 2009 por Mauricio Cano.
-Asistente de grabación : Maria Fernanda Vanegas
– Masterizado en Sterling Sound , New York City, U.S.A en Noviembre de 2009 por Drew Lavyne.
-Diseño de arte e ilustracion : Gaspar Guerra.

Descarga «Roxanne»

Descarga «Me Quedo»

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Músicos
Sergio Mejia Direccion y bajo
Santiago Mejia Teclados
Guillermo Celis Voz
David Cantillo (Malpelo) Voz
Pablo Martínez Voz
Alejandro Pérez Conga
Diego Sánchez Bongo
Juan David Fernández Timbal
Roland Nieto Trompeta
Juan Felipe Cárdenas Saxo Tenor
Vladimir Romero Trombón
Jose Miguel Vega (El profe) Trombón
Músicos Invitados
Karen Bravo – Vibráfono
Manuel Rodríguez – Percusión Menor
Produccion musical: Richard Blair y La-33
Produccion de campo: Ray Fuquen y Carlos Cadena
Ingeniero de mezcla: Richard Blair
Ingeniero de sonido: Camilo Silva
Asistente de ingeniería: Sergio Diaz
Grabado en Febrero de 2013 en los estudios de Audiovisión.
Masterizado por John Dent en Loud Mastering , Tauton, UK
Arte: Gaspar Guerra
Una producción de La-33