Saturday June 16th Antioquia is squeezing in their official album release event in Oakland CA between a busy list of tour dates. Recently on tour in the Midwest in May, Antioquia blew up the music scene in Wisconsin with performances at Jam for Jam in Sullivan, Club Garibaldi in Bay View, a gig in Madison and others. I first met Antioquia at Jam for Jam and it was an instant attraction. Viajero is the most recent album release for this spunky charismatic group (pronounced An-tee-oh-kee-ah if you were wondering). The band members all live in Oakland California when not on the road, touring and promoting their new album all over the nation. There is a little Milwaukee flavor in this album as lead percussionist Craig Miller is originally from Milwaukee and attended Riverside High School. Viajero was produced by Jesse Sheehan, a Milwaukee native whose name might be recognized by his past career with De La Buena on saxophone produced this album. Tracks such as “No Sleep Till Oakland” and “There’s A Man Jumping Off The Planet” feature a funky, cranky and rude baritone saxophone sound played on the record by Jesse Sheehan. Viajero is well balanced with a large emphasis on percussion as well as lyrics that relate to current events that are happening here in Wisconsin and around the world. This full drum flavor is well rounded and topped with sprinkles of chimes and powerful female vocals from lead singer Rachel. Their genre is self-created of tribal and electronic rock influence. The power of protest is most prominent in “No Sleep Till Oakland” with lyrics referring to one versus the ninety-nine percent, as well as in “Rage of Love”. Songs “Dibon” and “Kassa-Nisoro” are original to the culture in Columbia. Mentioning they have a large focus on percussion is only a understatement during a live show. They use traditional Columbian drumming styles picked up by living in the region for a couple years and set up in the front of the stage during shows, immersing themselves in the audience. Some of their other releases include Gringolandia, Live at the Uptown and My Piano Ate the Front Page of the San Francisco Chronicle, all have that fun blend of rock and traditional Columbian percussion. Seeing Antioquia live is a very fun and engaging experience. I highly suggest picking up Viajero and listening to it to understand what the buzz is about. Antioquia is a great group of people, talented to say the least. Catch them next time they are in your neck of the woods. There is a full list of tour dates on their homepage.

Also check out the music video for “Idaho” “Idaho” one of the tracks off Viajero.