West African Guitars and Tropical Vibes Unite on Nkumba System’s Debut EP

By 10 May, 2019

It’s not every day that a Frenchman finds himself plying away with West African guitar styles at the heart of a tropical jamboree in the Colombian capital. That, however, is exactly where guitar maestro Guillo Cros has found himself in recent years.

Having made a name with much loved Bogotanos Romperayo, the man from Marseille has now started his own project, Nkumba System. Together with Romperayo’s Jhon Socha (bass), Leonel Alexander Merchán on lead vocals and percussion, and Kike Naez holding things together on drums, the four piece have created a tropically-fused EP, rich in the West African guitar patterns so heavily associated with the genre.

Debut single “El Rey y el Peón” (The King and The Pawn) features plucky guitar riffs that snake out enchanting melodies behind the groups’ rhythms and choruses. The tropical hip-shaker is an invitation to dance floors; an aural ticket to the Caribbean and a fascinating journey through sound in this enthralling debut.

Alongside the tantalising new single, the self-titled debut EP features three more fantastically enticing tracks that leave us excited at what more will come from the group. We will of course be on hand to bring it to you. In the meantime, with summer just around the corner, why not satisfy the appetite, bridging the gap by hitting play on the below link to listen to debut track, “El Rey y el Peón”, now. Echa pa’lante!


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