Review: Calle 13 @ Nokia Theater

In short: Menos cafrería, más metales.

The new album may have fewer nasties, but on stage the Brothers 13 didn't really tune down the raunch that much. You still had immortal lines like "yo se que tu quieres chuparme las quenepas / aunque no sean de Ponce / no importa que no sean ni de oro, ni de plata, ni de bronce" (Suave); "Mujer tú eres toda una geometría / Tu tienes el pudín como me gusta / Estirao con estrías / como de repostería" (Cumbia de los aburridos); and, of course, the bad-taste classic, "Señorita intelectual, ya se que tienes / El área abdominal que va a explotar / Como fiesta patronal, que va a explotar / Como palestino..." (Atrevete te te!).

(My apologies to the non-Spanish readers. Suffice it to say, sexual innuendo involving tropical fruits, jiggly pudding and exploding bellies.)

Adding horns and reinforcing the beats -- drum kit, bateria, congas, timbales and tambora, often several going at once -- does stretch the sound in new directions. Though never fear, the theremin and melodica are still present. (Quiet Visitante often gets short shrift next to the vocal cafre charms of Residente, but he's what really has taken the band beyond a goof.)

The sonic soup now includes Balkan brass, heavier samba, batucadas, a dash of cumbia villera and some slips into the land of Two-Tone ska. All of a sudden, I flashed back to Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, circa "Matador" and "Rey Azúcar," when they found a similar sweet spot among the New Orleans-Miami-Kingston-Recife continuum.

The brothers are very intent on shaking off the "reggaetón" tag. Notably, Residente clarified that what they do is "música urbana." "Nosotros queremos ser los juglares del pueblo -- contar lo que pasa sexualmente, políticamente, religiosamente. Y eso es algo que se ha olvidado mucho en el género" (We want to be the people's bards -- talk about what happens sexually, politically, religiously. That's something that's been forgotten in the genre).

But the real secret weapon of Calle 13's current iteration is the sweet-voiced PG 13. Was she there before? Now she is definitely second voice and catching up fast. I even dare say, as much as I like the Tacoobs, that I prefer to hear her on "Nadie Como Tú." You can compare her performance here with the official video of the album version with Cafeta here.

[fuzzy Residente and PG 13 behind pink parasol by moi]

Comments

[E]

I was at that conert. It was awesome but waaaaay too short. He is so crazy but totally 100% for his fans. And he's crazy! He threw his sneaker in the audience. Had a lot of audience participation, gave his water bottle to a fan, and body dove into the audience. Truly awesome group. And I loved PG 13's voice!

[Lito S.]

RE: "All of a sudden, I flashed back to Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, circa "Matador" and "Rey Azúcar,"..."
That's exactly how i felt when i first heard "No hay nadie como tu" I won't tell you how I felt when i first saw Residente tho. swooooonnn.

[luis hidalgo]

""All of a sudden, I flashed back to Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, circa "Matador" and "Rey Azúcar,"

Probably because they almost lifted the entire harmony, melody, and musical instruments used on that track...or one from Mano Negra...

Very creative I'd say...