In My Record Collection, we dig down to the bottom of musicians' souls to find out what the most treasured parts of their record collection are. This week, it's the turn of Combo Chimbita guitarist Niño Lento es Fuego - let's see what he opts for...
In My Record Collection, we dig down to the bottom of musicians' souls to find out what the most treasured parts of their record collection are. This week, it's the turn of Combo Chimbita guitarist Niño Lento es Fuego - let's see what he opts for...
The first record I ever bought with my own money was…
“My brother put me onto Soda Stereo... I was a big fan but all I had were just mixtapes and I wanted to have an original record! So I saved up some money and went to Discos la Rumbita in Bogota and finally got their Cancion Animal album! At the time, El General’s ‘El Meneito’ was being blasted everywhere in the streets so I got that one, too!”
The record that made me want to be in a band was…
“I was about 12 years old when I discovered La Muerte… Un Compromiso de Todos by La Pestilencia. It was on my walkman on repeat for months and years! They were from Medellin, Colombia, considered the most dangerous city on Earth back in the 80’s and these kids were just analysing and documenting the times through their music.”
The records I've played more than any others are…
“Up from the Roots by Mongo Santamaria and Vicky Anderson’s You Are Welcome, Stop On By. That whole Mongo Santamaria album is a masterpiece! The arrangements, the recording, every time I listen to that album I feel inspired! I actually just have the single for Vicky Anderson but the arrangements of that song blow my mind! The guitar, just one chord for a loooooong time, but all the sh*t that happens on top and Vicky's vocals! Woooooooow!”
The record that always makes me feel good is…
“Hector Lavoe’s El Juicio – that record makes me travel to my childhood!”
The record I turn to when I'm feeling down is…
“War Ina Babylon by Max Romeo and the Upsetters. It’s the lyrics from ‘Chase The Devil’ that does it for me! ‘Lucifer, son of the morning, I'm gonna chase you out of earth! I'm gonna put on an iron shirt, and chase Satan out of earth. I'm gonna put on an iron shirt, and chase the devil out of earth.’”
The record I think is the most underrated of all time is…
“There’s way too many! Especially if we talk about music that doesn't fall into the US or EU mainstream, but that's a longer conversation. For now, I’d say Cumbia Africana by Son Palenque."
The record with my favourite cover art is…
“All of Sun Ra’s albums have killer artwork! They are just deep deep deep deep deep deep! You can look at them for hours and think and then go even deeper if you wanted to. “
The record with my favourite title is…
“Our own Abya Yala – it’s the Indigenous name used by the Cuna nation which describes what we know as ‘Latin’ or ‘South America.’”
The record I can't understand why everybody loves is…
“I don't like the Beatles, I think their albums are boring.”
The last record I bought was…
“Después de la Tormenta by Frank Quintero y los Balzehaguaos. I found it last month at the Feria de Cali and paid about fifty cents for a record that’s fuegooooo.”
The record I'm most looking forward to hearing in 2022 is…
“I hope Marshall Allen and the Sun Ra Arkestra do a record!"
The greatest record of all time is…
“There's no such thing! But… let's say Shakara by Fela Kuti.”
Combo Chimbita's new album IRE is available in hmv stores now - you can also find it here in our online store.
