Mestizo (UK/COL)

For the past four years, Steam Down founder and saxophonist Ahnansé and Mambo Negro Records head and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Michel have been building a musical bridge between their two worlds, creating a beguiling new interpretation of Colombian folk traditions, London jazz and hip-hop.

Mestizo artfully mix Colombian traditions of currulao and cumbia with hip-swaying salsa, head-nodding rap verses, shards of electronica and jazz improvisation. Bringing the London scene’s knack for genre-hopping to bear on a new realm of kinetic sounds, Indigenous traditions are blended with British diaspora music, producing a fusion of Afro-Caribbean rhythms, UK rap flair and percussive intensity.

“A unique ‘cross-fertilisation’ jazz collective straddling the Colombian Capital Bogotá and the UK” – Jazzwise

“Like a novel that you simply cannot put down, it is intoxicating and gripping and incredibly refreshing.” Louder Than War

“This is cross-cultural musical conversation at its coolest.” Sounds and Colours

“An upbeat and beautiful album that centres community and radiates joy.” ★★★★ – Songlines