Santa Fe Klan is completely re-immersing himself in the world of cumbia. On Thursday night, the Mexican musician released his new album Baile Cholo, and its 26 songs, showcasing the cumbia styles of Colombia, Argentina, and of course, Mexico.
“This album is so my people remember that, even if life hurts or gets great, rhythm will always lift and unite us. I did this very old-school: I lived the process, recorded it, and surrounded myself with people who had heavy stories,” Santa Fe tells Rolling Stone in an email statement. “Each song comes with experiences we’ve all lived in the barrio, so that whoever listens to it can say, ‘I went through that too.’”
The album opens with the tropical cumbia “Claves,” a nod to the late Rigo Tovar, before he moves into tracks like “Un Pacto,” “No Hace Falta” with Anaidita y Su Sonora, and “No Será Quién Canta,” channeling old-school cumbias and chilango sounds.
“Baile Cholo is my life in songs: el barrio, the fights on the streets, the losses that hurt, and the people who always uplift you,” Santa Fe adds. “Each cumbia is for you to remember that even if the world tries taking us down, we’ll always be strong, dancing, and being who we are.”
Along with Anaidita y Su Sonora, Santa Fe Kan also collaborated with “Tu Forma de Ser” duo Alberto y Roberto, Colombian group Javier Lopez y Los Reyes Vallenatos, and Monterrey cumbia stars Los Kombolokos.
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Days before the drop, Santa Fe thanked Monterrey, where he recorded the album, along with the producers and collaborators on the album, on Instagram. “Thank you, cumbia, for giving me life and for filling that emptiness we all feel here in the barrio,” he wrote in Spanish, adding, “This is the true unity of the barrio; unity is what gives us strength to take this movement to the top.”
He added: “Since I was a kid, even before I started rapping, cumbia was already running through my veins, and it’s an honor to finally announce this album.”
