You know night owls will be flocking to see this Latin band live, especially when Colombia’s Bomba Estereo insist that they can make stereos explode with infectious cumbia beats. Simon Mejia and Liliana Saumet began collaborating in 2006 and, like their 2009 debut album Blow Up implies, they literally blew up. Not only did Bomba Estereo launch a new movement of electronic music in their native Bogota, but they're luring thousands of listeners throughout the world with their sweat-inducing club anthems mixed with old school rapping and dancehall vocals. In short, Bomba Estereo is the perfect soundtrack for a scandalous beach fiesta. However, don’t expect Bomba Estereo to take a break just yet. Currently, Bomba Estereo is promoting a new EP, Ponte Bomb, and they’re scheduled to perform at the prestigious Coachella Arts & Music Festival this month. Before they hit the road, we spoke with Mejia about Bomba Estereo’s growing success, a possible collaboration with Calle 13, and why Americans are listening to Colombian music now more than ever.
nocheLatina: What has your life been like since the 2009 debut of Blow Up?
Simon Mejia: It’s been very crazy because Blow Up was made at my house between Liliana and me. We never thought that we would be traveling and performing in so many different countries. I’m still shocked by how everything turned out. I never thought that any of this would happen. Now, we’re very happy because we’re seeing the world and making music. I’m so proud of us.
nocheLatina: Bomba Estereo is frequently compared to Calle 13. Would you ever consider collaborating with them?
Simon Mejia: Yes, of course. They’re actually our friends. They’ve been great supporters of our music since the early years. People say there are similarities between us and I think that’s cool. We would love to create something with them for a future album.
nocheLatina: Could you talk a little bit more about how Bomba Estereo started as a band?
Simon Mejia: Bomba Estereo started around 2005. It was a side project for me at the time because I wanted to create music. I began making the first Bomba album in 2006. I was looking for someone to collaborate with. Then, I met Liliana and we just clicked. She came over one day and we did a song together. I called her right away and told her that the track was amazing and we needed to work some more together. We then recorded other songs that would eventually appear in Blow Up. Everything just fell into place after that. We began performing a lot and spreading the word. And here we are now.
nocheLatina: Why do you think Americans are listening to Colombian music now more than ever?
Simom Mejia: I think listeners in the United States are always looking for something fresh and exciting. Colombians are all about delivering something new on stage, especially if it’s going to make you dance. I think a lot of music has Latin American roots and we’ve been influenced by African cultures. Dance culture wouldn’t exist today if it weren’t for its roots. I think audiences, not just Americans, are beginning to acknowledge this. They're peeling the layers of music to discover where it really comes from and embracing it.
nocheLatina: If you were throwing a party tonight, which songs would be on your playlist?
Simon Mejia: I’m pretty open to anything that’s going to make people dance, but I would love to play some remix tracks with traditional beats from Colombia, Africa, and Jamaica. They’re perfect for any party (laughs).
nocheLatina: How did you get involved with Fania Records?
Simon Mejia: Cornerstone reached out to us about creating a remix for Fania Records and we were just so happy to be part of that. Fania Records has a rich history in Latin music history and it continues to be very influential. It was an honor for us to contribute. We just hope that listeners will hear the remix and then be encouraged to discover more music from Fania Records as a way of rediscovering their roots. So far, we’ve received encouraging feedback from Bomba fans. They usually come to us after shows to tell us how much they appreciate what we do. We’re always happy to hear that. Liliana and I grew up listening to rock and electronic music, so when it came time for us to do our own thing, we knew that we couldn’t ignore our Latin roots. It’s in our blood to embrace different influences and unite them.
nocheLatina: What has been your craziest Bomba concert experience?
Simon Mejia: One of our craziest shows was actually in Colombia. People were just going wild and climbing on top of the stage. It was scary at first, but we kept playing. Security tried to stop them. Out of all the shows that we’ve done, that’s one concert I won’t ever forget.
nocheLatina: What can audiences except from your upcoming performance at Coachella?
Simon Mejia: We’re really excited for our Coachella show because not only are we going to play some of our favorite old songs, but we’re also going to perform new tracks. Which ones? That's a surprise!
nocheLatina: Fair enough. How are your new songs different from the ones found in Blow Up?
Simon Mejia: Well, we’re moving a little bit away from cumbia to focus on new dance rhythms. Blow Up has a lot of heavy cumbia influences, so we wanted to change things up a bit. We’ve been working very hard on creating something special for our fans. We just hope that they’ll get the new album and dance. More importantly, we just want to represent Colombia.
