Bomba Estéreo on taking care of the Earth—groovily

Bomba Estéreo is a Colombian electronic music duo, comprised of singer Liliana “Li” Saumet and producer Simón Mejia. They have recently released an album: Deja. This album is an effort to convey the importance of connection and unity for the purpose of saving the world. A world full of people distracted by technology-imposed disconnection, at the expense of the health of the planet. Mejia used field recordings taken during hikes in Colombian national parks, which he incorporated into various sections within the songs. These recordings interwove two aspects of humanity’s existence: our ubiquitous link with technology with our inborn dependence on the Earth’s resources and the beings we share them with. Highlighting how we risk losing lest we continue to ignore this dependence and cling to our unproductive use of the technologies we have invented.

The first song on the album “Agua” starts with a repetition of the four elements: water, earth, air and fire in Spanish. These four elements are the essential theme of the album, the unifying demand to acknowledge the importance of nature to human existence and human well-being at large. The music has intense swells mixed with tapering synths that balance them out very nicely.

“Deja,” the second song, has a much calmer mood to start, resembling the element of water. It is fluid in texture and calm in demeanor, like the surface of a lake resting underneath soft gusts of wind. The music picks up after the first verse and is very danceable, in a relaxed sort of way. The entire song is very groovy and powerful, in a subdued, low-key way. 

“Soledad,” one of the more pop-y sounding songs on the album, is ironically also one of the saddest. The lyrics are about being alone and lonely, something that was surely a relatable sentiment for many during this past year in the pandemic. The music’s minimalistic keyboard synths and bass overlaid with a single vocal line very intelligently point toward the emotions of the lyrics. When the single vocal line is played over the chorus of voices behind the lead singer, people can feel the singer’s feeling of separation from those around them. 

“Se Acabό” starts with a kind of techno feel, beginning with only a single drum line and guitar. It continues with catchy syncopation, with simple harmony balanced by intricate rhythms in the drum and the vocal lines. This song is also very danceable and easy to audibly enjoy. 

Overall, Deja is perfect for those looking for music with a deeper look into what it means to feel connected to the elements of the earth through meaningful lyrics and equally beautifully accompanying music.