Quilombo

Osvaldo Hernandéz-Napoles is a Mexican singer-songwriter and percussionist who has been based in Brussels for the last 24 years. Quilombo was the name given to a secret village (such as Palmares and Palenque) set up in the jungles of South America by African people who had escaped slavery in the colonial era. In his exploration of the vital influence of African-derived music around the continent, he visits an almost bewildering array of styles, coming up with some novel combinations of instruments in the arrangements. Afro-Peruvian cajón and quijada (donkey's jaw rattle) sound great alongside a Senegalese sabar drum and a cavaquinho (lute) on ‘Toro Con Son’.

Fans of Mexican music will instantly recognise the richly textured tones of a jarana guitar on the coursing highlight ‘Festejando a Madiba’ (a Nelson Mandela tribute). In contrast, the rabeca (violin) of north-eastern Brazil and a twanging berimbau can also be heard, evoking the Lusophone sound world. In fact, it's easier to list the South American countries he doesn’t take influences from: only Venezuela, the Guyanas, Ecuador and Uruguay seem to have been overlooked.