Mexican rapper Santa Fe Klan takes a turn in his career with the release of Baile Cholo, a cumbia vallenata album featuring 26 songs that speak about love, heartbreak, loneliness, sadness, and pain.
“Since I was a child, before I started rapping, cumbia ran through my veins, so I always wanted to do something like this,” the artist tells Billboard Español. “It was a difficult mission and a lot of work on my part and the team’s, but today I can say we’re going to make everyone dance.”
Released on Thursday (Nov. 20) as his second album under Prajin Records, Baile Cholo was recorded in Monterrey, Mexico, a place that for many years has had a large Colombian and Mexican community dedicated to cumbia and vallenato.
The LP features multiple collaborations: Anaidita y Su Sonora on “No Hace Falta,” Alberto y Roberto on “Perro Lobo,” APV Passion Vallenata on “Nomás Lokeez,” Javier López y Los Reyes Vallenatos on “Bájate La Falda,” Los Kombolokos on “Tú Perfume,” and Toy Selectah, the renowned DJ from Control Machete, on “Y Si Nos Vamos.”
“This project comes from the heart. The collaborations aren’t for personal gain; rather, I’m supporting the people I’m collaborating with on the album,” Santa Fe Klan, whose real name is Ángel Quezada, says. “I’m opening the door for them to be known by my fans, just as they’re lending me their musical style and movement.”
Soon to turn 26 this month, the artist co-produced the set with Julián Villareal, blending raw lyrics — very much in Santa Fe Klan’s style — with the celebratory vibe inspired by the genre. “It’s a heartfelt gift for my fans,” he adds. “The songs are full of emotion, the kind of emotion that comes from the people in the neighborhood. Unity is strength to take this movement to the top.”
Below, Santa Fe Klan breaks down five essential tracks from Baile Cholo. To listen to the full album, click here.
Santa Fe Klan, Baile Cholo
Courtesy
“Claves”
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This song is about going out partying with friends and, unfortunately, the police stop you. Because you were drinking, they arrest you, and they’re calling out codes you don’t know. It’s like recounting the adventure of a crazy night; it’s kind of funny. Musically, it’s very much in the style of Rigo Tovar, very tropical with that 70s organ sound, and I was inspired by his upbeat singing style. I would have loved to meet him. Thanks to my barrio, I have that musical background, the kind I learned on the streets or from what I heard at my friends’ houses.
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That song has that Colombian flow, very vallenato — in fact, I learned to play the accordion in that style. It’s music I’ve loved since I was little, and I’d been wanting to make an album like this for a while. In Monterrey, I found musicians who were on board with my vision, and “Me Iré” is the result of that Mexican and Colombian combination. It’s about heartbreak, about someone who leaves and stops loving you, and when you meet again, one of you has changed. It’s a catchy song that makes you want to move to its rhythm, but it speaks of something sad, something that happens all the time, everywhere: falling out of love.
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This song is very special, it’s a very Argentinian cumbia. In fact, I went all the way there with my colleagues from Grupo Elegante and dared to ask them to help me learn their sound — I’m truly grateful that they shared their style with me. I went there specifically for that purpose and managed to incorporate it into this song. The lyrics are a bit raw, very much in the Santa Fe Klan style. It’s about someone who, because of a heartbreak, gets lost in drugs and alcohol.
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There’s a lot to learn from song. Pepo, the leader of Passion Vallenata, is a great role model: even though he’s missing a leg, he has a fantastic attitude and his music is so positive. People in Monterrey love him. He has something very special; he even has a lot of young fans. He’s always happy despite what happened to him. [That] made me reflect on myself. It inspired me to learn to play the accordion, and I learned that I should always be positive. The message is one of overcoming adversity. It talks about what you can achieve through hard work, and that sometimes that bothers a lot of people.
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I’ve been working with Toy Selectah for several years now. He’s like an uncle to me, he gives me a lot of advice. He mixed three songs for this album: “A Lo Mejor,” “Y Si Nos Vamos,” and “Qué Bonita.” Those songs gave the album a different sound, they’re a departure from the vallenato flow of the others. But speaking specifically about “A Lo Mejor,” which I really like and which I wrote a few months ago while I was in Barcelona, I can say that even though it’s about infidelity, it’s totally rhythmic and will definitely get anyone who listens to it moving. My idea with this album is to get the world dancing.
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