Spring has arrived ! ArtistCongratz’ cue to treat you to some early summer vibes with a Latin-Belgian twist 🇪🇸🇧🇪
This band juggles its way to the hearts of people AND their dancing shoes. 🕺
ArtistCongratz had an inspiring chat with bandmembers Willy Fuego and Roel Poriau at AB-club, right after Rumbaristas swept the audience of their feet in a swirling showcase 🎶🎺🥁🎤
AC: Congratz on the new album! How does it feel to finally share your songs with the world?
Roel: It feels great. The last three years, we put a lot of work and effort in it. During the Covid era, we have been working a long time on all the new songs.
AC: Was it like a benefit of confinement, having more freedom and time to write?
Roel: In a way yes but because we really are a live band, we also missed playing in front of a live audience. Being able to do that now, along with all the good vibes and people dancing to the songs is really a nice reward for all the work on Malabares.
Back then, we had some 20 to 30 tracks ready to record but when we sat together with our producer, some of the tracks turned out to be too dark. Covered in Covid darkness, let’s say. We really want to keep a balance between happy and slightly darker songs. Tonight was all about party though. People dancing on our music is the greatest reward.
AC: Playing the songs for the very first time, must be special indeed
Roel: There were a few concerts before this one. Two weeks ago we played in Granada and soon we will also be playing again in Belgium, Serbia and Bulgaria. Probably Holland too…
AC: Maybe some colourful festivals as well, like TAZ or Dranouter…
Roel: By all means, we have a few big ones on our wishlist. Couleur Café and Sfinx are some of the best world music festivals. Hungary’s sziget fesztivál is also very nice. Dranouter, we played before, but we would like to return. Theater Aan Zee? Good idea, this could also be a match with Rumbaristas.
AC: Back to Malabares, which means juggling…With words? Music, genres, each other? (Laughs) Where did the idea come from?
Willy: In Spain the people use the word juggle when they struggle to keep on going. When they cope, the people do “malabares”.
Roel: We also shot an extraordinary video, made by Willy and Joan Garriga. Made in Barcelona, it’s about a mother who also has to juggle to make ends meet. She’s struggling to make a living, for her son too.
AC: Any favourite tracks on the album? Or does that feel like choosing between your babies?
Willy: All the songs capture one particular moment of feelings. Happiness, nostalgia…
“But we do have a special bond with one song in particular, actually. It’s called “La Vida es Bella” In a way, this song has it all.
Willy Fuego
Roel: This was a collaboration with Amparo Sánchez also known as Amparanoia. (ed.note: Amparanoia is the stage name of Spanish singer/guitarist Amparo Sánchez who combines her first name with the word ‘paranoia’. Willy also played in her band for a long time.
A lot of different things come together in that record. It’s danceable, it has a latin vibe, nice rhythm, trumpets…And it contains the melancholy that Willy often has in his songs.
AC: How did you all meet?
Roel: I met Thomas, the trumpet-player, first. I was working with him, for “l’orchestre International du Vetex” Willy was playing with Amparo Sanchez while in Belgium. We did a kind of jam together in Tournai, where her manager lives. The three of us started to play. Which felt really great. Of course we needed a bass player. I invited Thomas, with whom I played in Think Of One before.
About Rumabaristas creative process:
Roel: For this album, we really worked more collectively, but most of the time, Willy will start a song. Sometimes with a rhythm track I already created. Or on his own. Then we start working with that. Looking for the right groove, Tomasino will write the melodies while we come up with lyrics in different languages. Willy has also found a way to leave a lot of things open, so we can fill it in.
Want to catch this band live?
Rumbaristas, not your typical Belgian band, besides welcomed on stages abroad, they are also breaking through our national language borders. They can be found both on stages in the northern as well as the southern part of Belgium. Gigs in Tournai, Namur (in a monastery) are coming up.
The band succeeds to mesmerize young to older audiences, in different places. Including the iconic AB-club, one of the best venues for sound.
The band also presented their first album here.
Roel: It’s very difficult to find a venue that has all the qualities of AB. Every musician and/or band knows this, good technicians, great acoustics.
Other music temples On Rumbaristas’ wishlist are: Paradiso and Apolo club Barcelona. Spread the word ! And the music of course.
- Pictures by Anthony Henry
ArtistCongratz 