Review: Novalima "Coba Coba"

Author: Pablo Yglesias
Contact: djbongohead@comcast.net



Cumbancha is an innovative world music label that treats each release as high art, featuring cutting edge artists making interesting music that combines roots with modern sensibilities, presented in quality packaging, with full liner notes (often bi-lingual), captivating visuals, and great sound quality. Novalima’s “Coba Coba”, their latest release, is a sexy, muscular percussion-driven romp that mixes classic Afro-Peruvian music and themes with modern dancefloor touches and elements of other African Diaspora music, like Cuban, reggae, cumbia, salsa, hip-hop, DJ culture, house, and dub. The cover art,
designed by Tim O’Malley, is a really great mix of imagery – the musician is sitting atop the traditional Afro-Peruvian ‘cajón’ or box (a percussion instrument with origins in Cuba, and used by modern flamenco artists as well) – but instead of the traditional resonating hole, the cajon sports a boomin' sound system speaker, a signifier for DJ/hip-hop/Jamaican/dance culture. The percussionist's hand
position almost makes him look like a DJ at the turntables. This image is simple, subtle, and deep. It’s the perfect metaphor for this album’s unique fusion of flavors, sort of an ancient/future sound clash if you will. — DJ Bongohead

Thanks Pablo, aka DJ Bongohead for the review. I'm sure we'll be hearing more about Novalima in the future.
Check the Bongohead blog here...highly recommended!
And to hear samples from the album, check Novalima's Myspace page here.