La Sonora Mazurén: “In our concerts, people let go of their worries and release themselves to dance”

Nicolás Eckardt was intrigued when he came across the English word ‘mesmerising’ – no direct translation existed in Spanish, his mother tongue. He discovered the word is derived from Franz Mesmer – a doctor who developed techniques for patients to heal themselves from psychological struggles. “[Mesmer] said beings are connected through animal magnetism,” says Eckardt. Mesmer’s trance-like techniques – mesmerising – evolved into modern-day hypnosis.

Eckhard felt “animal magnetism” resonated with the freedom found in music, something he experienced playing bass in his band La Sonora Mazurén. “In our concerts, people let go of their worries and release themselves to dance,” he says, likening the experience to a symbiotic ritual. “We were sparking something in them so they could free themselves.”

Magnetismo Animal is La Sonora Mazurén’s second album, a heady mixture of traditional Latin American rhythms (cumbia, champeta, vallenato) decked with bassy synths and psychedelic guitar twangs. Eckardt says the album represents the band’s mission to explore the rich musical styles of Latin America.

“We started the band as a group to study and understand the rhythms and melodies,” he explains. “There are similarities among the music of Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Cuba, but also many differences.” Their exploration of Latin styles resulted in a vibrant mix of tracks on the record, ranging from the Andean-inspired tones of ‘Nazca’ to the Cuban cool of ‘Cavernicolas’ and the vallenato flair of ‘Parrandiando’.

Each track is unique in its geographical flavour, yet united in a lively, kaleidoscopic soundscape. This bombastic mix of genres marks a distinct change from their debut album, Bailando con Extraños, which was only released last year, but was more psych-rock-oriented than Magnetismo Animal.

“It’s simply about having more confidence. Our mother tongue has always been rock. Some of us are metalheads; others are punks,” explains Eckardt. “Latin American music is like a second language we’ve been learning, and now we feel more fluent. This allows us to take more risks when composing.”

All seven band members are renowned multi-instrumentalists and vocalists in Bogotá’s thriving music scene. La Sonora Mazurén, named after a Bogotá barrio, are a supergroup of experimentalists versing themselves in the sounds of the Americas while celebrating the diverse musicality bubbling throughout their city.

“Bogotá is a fascinating ocean of music,” says Eckardt, who explains the band was formed after “many years” of watching legendary local tropical acts like Meridian Brothers and Los Pirañas in cult Bogotá venues. “Seeing all these bands almost every weekend was extremely inspiring.”

The group have brought their sounds to Europe but now hope to tour a bit closer to home. “Ironically, it’s been easier to tour in Europe and the United States than in Colombia itself, because Colombia’s music system is complex and also quite limited.”

The band’s ultimate mission is to keep shining the cumbia torch around the globe, getting everyone to feel a little lighter through the power of music. “Music belongs to all of us; it underlies all nations, all countries, all ideologies and keeps us connected as a species,” Eckardt concludes. “That’s the message!”