SANTIAGO DOWNBEAT - DANCE HALL (LP)

From South America to the world.

Santiago Downbeat is a prominent orchestra that, since 2008, has been dedicated to the creation of original music, directly influenced by Jamaican rhythms from the 60s.

After releasing two remarkable studio albums and touring Argentina, Europe, and Chile, the beloved band took an extended hiatus of almost a decade, ending in early 2024 with the release of their first single, "El Acuerdo," a powerful vocal ska track showcasing the songwriting and vocals of lead singer Natalia Ramirez. Midway through the year, they dropped a second single, "Abajo el Mar," a delightful and soulful rocksteady duet between Natalia and the Spanish-based composer Sebastian Orellana, which evokes their golden years with exquisite vocal harmonies.

"Salón de Baile" is the title of this new record production consisting of 10 songs recorded completely live, where we can feel the energy and maturity that these 12 musicians have developed over the years, under the composition and direction of their trumpeter Cristian Cerpa.

In his own words, 'Salón de Baile' is an ode to this almost ritualistic meeting and celebration place, where ordinary people go to shed or purify the weight of existence, through unbridled revelry and excess, but also to generate communion and connection.

As the lyrics of the heavy reggae song 'Después De La Lluvia' say, and as the dance that closes the vocal tracks on the album says, "...And so you will let go, you will float through the room, you will let yourself be enveloped by this warmth, and, once again, you will leave your head in a corner, like the thief who escapes from his prison...".

Tracklist
Side 1
1. Existentialists
2. The Agreement
3. Free To...
4. Down with the Sea
5. Phobos

Side 2
1. To La Baba
2. Never Again
3. The Annihilator
4. After the Rain and the Dance
5. Deimos