Los Rakas in South America
23 July, 2013It’s no secret I’m a big fan of a lil group I first saw in 2011—Los Rakas, Panamanian cousins based in Oakland, Calif., who masterfully blend hip-hop, dancehall and reggaeton into some ass-shaking anthems.
Using DIY street hustle and help from their loyal “Raka Nation” of fans throughout the country, the duo has released a handful of EPs and mixtapes and built quite the impressive fan base. This is why it brings me great joy (and pride) to see Los Rakas go to my parents’ home country of Colombia! (And Chile, too!)
Los Rakas: Raka Rich (L.) and Raka Dun play Chile for the first time this weekend.
On Friday, July 26, Los Rakas play Theatron Bogotá, where they’ll be joined by a bevy of friends to Sounds and Colours—El Freaky Colectivo, Geko Jones and Uproot Andy of Que Bajo?, Electropico Miami’s Mr. Pauer, and Oro 11 (the dude behind Bersa Discos). There’s also a West Indian and Panamanian DJ from Los Angeles on the bill and she goes by DJ Panamami. (I am not familiar with her work, but after a brief search, I’m already feeling this mix she did last year for Seattle, Wash., radio station, KEXP.)
This “Freaky All Stars” event is being billed as “Pura Crema,” which promises to showcase the “pure cream” of the global bass world. It is Raka Rich’s second time in Colombia, (he performed solo in 2011) but it’s Raka Dun’s first trip to mi Colombia querida.
On Saturday, July 27, Los Rakas perform in Chile, for the first time, at Santiago nightclub, Subterraneo. Chilean rapper Zonora Point will also perform. Details here.
To get you prepped for the Raka invasion of South America, listen to (and download. It’s free!) their latest track, “Desorden,” which features Major Lazer.
https://soundcloud.com/remixcaseros/major-lazer-ft-los-rakas
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