Afropop Worldwide

Quitapenas (which translates roughly as "takes away your worries") are 9 piece group from southern California that plays a music perfectly designed to fulfill the promise of their name. Mixing jorocho style rave ups with twangy surf guitar, cumbia two-steps, and a rolling afro-latin percussion section, the group reflects and reinvents the multi-cultural heritage of the region. While the group's first release- a DIY recording made live in their home studio- plays it fairly straight, the remix from Jaytram (of the group Sinkane) brings in a whole new element, connecting the group's organic grooves to the echoing clatter and distorted undertow of "global bass." It's an interesting take on the sound, expanding it (primarily towards the low-end) while still maintaining its basic character. Give it a listen and- if you like it- listen to their earlier EP HERE. Or check out their single on White Iris Records. [soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/89056005" iframe="true" /]   You can also see a live session here! QUITAPENAS from shireen alihaji on Vimeo.