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Ojos de Brujo

Techari Live
(Six Degrees)

By Ernest Barteldes

Published on February 26, 2008 at 4:38pm

On this document of their 2007 world tour, the Barcelona-based, self-styled "hip-hop flamenco" band plays music from their latest studio recording of the same name, while also going through some material from their back catalog, delivering a high-energy performance that can be felt right from the first moment. "Sultanas de Merkaillo" is played at almost twice the original tempo, and includes a hot Afro-Cuban trumpet solo that is the tune's highlight. Their cover of Bob Marley's "Get Up, Stand Up" (recorded for a compilation last year) is miles away from Jamaica, as they adapt the melody into a salsa-flamenco blend. Satyajit Talwakar does a great job on "Interludio Tabla," an instrumental piece that leads to "Todo Tiende," which begins with a softer edge and then grows into a reggaeton-inflected arrangement that has much more soul than the original studio version (which tended to give more focus to the vocals). Techari Live is an altogether breathtaking experience that rivals only having actually caught the band live.


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