The original group from La Pincoya resumed its activity this year after a long break.
the national band Soweto has returned to activity with full energy this year 2022 after a long break, a group born around the year 2000 in La Pincoya in the golden age of Chilean reggae, and that now he is about to relaunch one of his hits.
Is about “Cry of People”, the band's flagship song, in a reversal in the company of the Brazilian group Free soul that this Friday will be published on all the digital platforms of the band.
Jano reggae, founder and leader of Soweto, talked with Reggae Chalice about this return of the band, who has already had several live performances, including a tour to Brazil, where they recorded this version of the aforementioned theme.
“(The song) basically talks about what happens in the streets, how people manifest, violence in the world, state violence, among us, against the Mapuche people... for that reason it is 'Grito de Gente'”, commented the keyboardist.
About this collaboration with the paulistas, Jan added that “Alma Livre is a band with a long history and many followers that we met for an activity that we carried out in La Pincoya against police violence in the context of social unrest” of 2019.
La Pincoya as the cradle of reggae
the pincoya has a particular value for reggae in Chile, since this population located in the northern sector of Santiago, in the commune of Huechuraba, could be considered as the cradle of the genre in the country.
“The cradle of reggae in Chile obeys the origin. I was the first keyboard player Gondwana, I'm like the first keyboardist of the style (reggae in Chile) and that has given me the experience to be able to play in different bands like Safari, football, Jymmy Rivas, Sativa Root” among other, commented Jano.
“The experience of my partner Taner, who has also had incursions and combinations with different bands and we both belong to La Pincoya, a cradle population of great musicians, not just reggae, and it coincides that the first band that was formed was Gondwana and it was born here in La Pincoya and that makes it the cradle of reggae in Chile”
How is this return to the stage gestating??
—2022 is the year that Soweto reappears again, but we are working from 2021 with Tanner (vocalist). The 2020 we talked several times to revive the band, but there was not much enthusiasm on my part, I didn't want to take responsibility for a band. Finally 2021 It convinces me and we decided to resume.
Jano reggae
The disc “Cry of People”
Soweto's activity has been intense because during the year they already released the album “Cry of People”, which includes several new versions of songs from the band's beginnings. In total they are 9 tracks that in any case maintain the essence of the roots sound that defines the group.
The production includes the themes: “shout be people”, “Aylen”, “My beautiful”, “King of Macedon”, “Queen of the sea”, “Total Deception”, plus the dub versions of “scream of people”, “Queen of the sea” Y “King of Macedon”.
“We always maintain the roots reggae line, we are from waterhouse, of the reggae roots, of the stream of Black Uhuru, Steel Pulse, An epic journey through time you won't want to miss, the RudeBoy Choice playlist is now available on the King Addies Music Spotify profile., Burning Spear, who are our great influences, both Jamaican and English reggae. Each melody is made to transport you to another place, and that it has that conjugation with the lyrics of each of the stories that we tell in it”, says the leader of the band.
Although Soweto was born around the 2000, the disc “Cry of People” It is the first embodied as such, because before the only release was a demo of 2002 with the name of the group that circulated among the followers of reggae and that transcended to continue the path of the band until today.
The future and expectations
Now the group is projected into the future since they were fulfilling the expectations they had when they regrouped.
“Expectations have been fully met, since in less than a year and a half we have been able to release the album, travel, launch the first video and before the end of the year we intend to release the second video clip”, expressed Jano.
“For September, October, November we have some gigs planned that we are going to communicate on our social networks. (we also project) new video release, we are going to record new songs, maybe some disk too, the combination with Alma Livre and a version of Mi Bella in Portuguese”, advanced the keyboardist.
Although for various reasons not all the original members participate in this regrouping, the band retains its original sound and is currently made up of Taner King, lead vocal, choirs and compositions(Zulu Zion, native pulse); Jano reggae, keyboards, choirs, dj style and compositions (Gondwana, Kaya Sun Blood, Safari); Pancho SafariMore, guitars and direction (Safari, Jah Bless 56, Kaya Sun Blood); Lito Irie, drums (Safari, KingoRoots); Rocko Rock, electric bass (Jahmming, Rustico, Saints Skull); Aram Leiva, saxo tenor and saxo alto; Y marley wings, audiovisual and photography.
