PREMIÈRE: Chico Trujillo Offshoot Macha y el Bloque Depresivo Aims To Bring You Down
05 October, 2018The live sets of Chilean cumbia band Chico Trujillo are legendary. Their punk take on cumbia was lapped up by Chilean audiences when they emerged post-Pinochet (in 1999) and since then they have gone from strength-to-strength, recently getting international audiences hooked along the way.
Their sets are so raucous that sometimes the group needs to cool the audience down. It was for that reason that the band started playing waltzes, boleros and ballads for a segment of their show that became known as El Bloque Depresivo (The Depressive Set), a chance for reflection, tears and plenty of pathos. Audiences loved it, so much so that that part of the show became a show in its own right. Macha y el Bloque Depresivo was born.
It’s the latest step in Macha’s career which saw him first embrace the punk scene in Valparaíso with La Floripondio in the 90s before later “making it” with Chico Trujillo. Now, he’s ready to tap a new source of inspiration, offering up luxurious pop, pure despair and plenty of opportunities for his audience to sing along, rather than mosh (as can be the case at a Chico Trujillo gig). Now, Macha y el Bloque Depresivo are ready to announce themselves to the world, with their debut self-titled album, a 12-track release featuring collaborations with members of Los Jaivas and Los Tres among others, being released on Barbès Records, and a number of international gigs in the pipeline.
Macha y el Bloque Depresivo is available on most streaming platforms as of today. A vinyl version of the album will be available via Barbès Records in December.
Watch the video for “Continentales” exclusively on S&C at the top of the page.
Macha y el Bloque Depresivo will be playing the following European tour dates:
Oct 18th – Opéra Underground, Lyon
Oct 24th – King’s Place, London
Oct 30th – Festsaal Kreuzberg, Berlin
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