Sidestepper

Founded in 1996, and hailing from the barrios of Bogotá, Sidestepper are rooted in the irresistible beats of Colombia, brought to life via joyful grooves and South American melodies, with shakers, flutes, percussion, dreamy guitars, and stunning vocals. Their long-awaited album, ‘Supernatural Love’, was released in February, and festivals are at the forefront of their activity here in the UK this summer including recent performances at Latitude and Larmer Tree, forthcoming shows at Port Eliot and Womad festivals, as well as gigs at venues such as Shoreham’s Ropetackle Centre.

Featuring a core line-up of five musicians, Sidestepper pulses with the joy that comes from music made naturally and effortlessly. Young virtuoso percussionist Juan Carlos ‘Chongo’ Puello and soulboy/vocalist Edgardo ‘Guajiro’ Garcés join the band’s powerhouse singer Erika ‘Eka’ Muñoz, guitarist Ernesto ‘Teto’ Ocampo and British DJ/producer Richard Blair – who co-founded Sidestepper, and who produces their music – variously playing, singing, producing and mixing, with melody and textural complexity.

It was within the historic barrio of La Candelaria that Sidestepper crafted their latest album ‘Supernatural Love’, a work that marks a radical change in direction for this acclaimed collective. Long acknowledged as the original progenitors of electro-cumbia, the cutting-edge blend of electronica and Afro-Colombian rhythms that has torn up dancefloors from Medellin to London and New York, the band’s sound has spawned such young groups as Chocquibtown, Bomba Estereo and more, many of whose members have played in Sidestepper over the group’s evolution. The new album befits the band’s reputation as innovators: organic, potent, rhythmic, and irresistibly danceable.

Ropetackle Centre, Shoreham, Friday 29 July, 8pm, £15