Vancouver's very own Psych Latin Fusion group! Performing various styles of music from Latin America. Infectious tropical rhythms intertwined with spicy Latin melodies designed make people get uplifted and groove.
Mixing genres like Cumbia, Salsa and Jazz with slaying guitar riffs, their unique sound mirrors the vibrancy and diversity of contemporary Canadian culture. The term “Psych Cumbia” refers to various different styles of tropical Latin American music. With their finger on the pulse of today’s latin music reconstruction Los Duendes breathes new life into timeless rhythms like “Chicha” and “Cumbia”.
Tener Duende loosely means having soul, a heightened state of emotion, expression and authenticity. Derived from the duende, an elf or goblin-like magical creature in Spanish mythology. El duende is the spirit of evocation. It surfaces as a physical and emotional response to art. The Duende climbs up inside you, from the soles of the feet… It’s what gives you chills, makes you smile or cry as a bodily reaction to an artistic performance that is particularly expressive.
Los Duendes 2023 album ‘Me Recuerdas’ is an exploration of Latin American music through the influences of Jazz, Funk, Fusion, Metal and House. Latin electrified guitar with heavy Afro-Latin percussion and gang vocals in the style of a typical Cumbia or Salsa combo are central to the sound. Drawing inspiration from the vintage guitar tones of Cumbia and Chicha, this album features heavy electric guitar, evocative of the jarring frenetic sounds of the urban jungle.
‘Me Recuerdas’ means remember me, hankering on themes of loss and grief and processing those emotions through art. It can also be interpreted in a romantic way, like in the title track that speaks to an ended love affair.
“The music on this record is a personal fusion of the music I love and the interests of the musicians in the band. Our lead guitarist and drummer both come from a jazz background and add a strong element of groove and virtuosic improvisation. Band members influences have expanded to include Jazz, Fusion, Funk and Metal, in addition to the already diverse mix of Salsa, Cumbia, Garage Psicodelia, Latin Soul, and Soulful house that inspired our earlier material. I hear a strong correlation between the sounds of Cumbia, Spaghetti western soundtracks, Surfer punk and African High-life music, and these styles all reveal themselves on the new album. We have been playing as a band for the past 6 years and have developed a singular voice as an ensemble. With this album we are looking to develop our sound further and take our music to the next level Nationally.” Sangito Bigelow
“This talented group has its finger on the pulse of today’s Latin music reconstruction, breathing new life into timeless rhythms like chicha and cumbia. Their on-trend sound mirrors the vibrancy and diversity of contemporary Canadian culture.” - Cal Koat
"Los Duendes brought me back to my travels in South America in the late 70's, particularly Peru. From the moment they played their first note
they had the whole room up and dancing right up until their very last song...
it was a joyous experience with a dash of the diabolical!" - Laurie Vanwycke
LOS DUENDES IS:
LILY ELENA TOWERS -
Lily Elena Towers is a born and raised Vancouver based singer, percussionist and photographer. Her mixed Mexican American and Mexican ancestry as well as her British, Scottish and Irish roots have both inspired and influenced her natural affinity for Latin music and dance.
SANGITO BIGELOW -
Born in Montreal but now based out of Vancouver, Sangito is a visual artist, percussionist, vocalist, guitarist and bandleader. Art and Music have always played a central role in his life. Los Duendes provides him a platform to play the music that he has studied from a young age, inspired also by elements of the musical discoveries he made along his travels in South America.
SEB CHAMNEY -
Seb Chamney is a jazz and contemporary guitarist based in Vancouver, B.C. who specializes in approaching traditional repertoire and vocabulary using unique rhythmic and harmonic techniques. Seb is a well-rounded player with a primary focus on jazz. Seb prides himself on approaching every musical scenario with supportiveness, focus, and creativity.
ALAN RUIZ -
Alan Ruiz is a Colombian musician whose style has been influenced by different genres such as Jazz, Classical, Latin and Rock. Alan started his musical journey at age 10 when he found an abandoned guitar at his grandparents house. In 2012, he decided to start a career in music abroad and moved to Vancouver B.C. where he studied classical guitar with Michael Strutt and Jazz and contemporary guitar at VCC School of music.
MAX HUBERDEAUX -
Max is a drummer, pianist, and composer based in Vancouver, Canada. He moved from Calgary to attend the Capilano University jazz program, where he studied drums and piano with many great teachers (Dave Robbins, Dylan Van der Schyff, Craig Scott, Lorne Kellett, Rejean Marois).
