Bacilos, “bacteria” in Spanish, started out in 1995 by a few students from the University of Florida. Singer/songwriter Jorge Villamizar was born in Colombia, drummer José Javier Freire hails from Puerto Rico, and bass player André Lopes is from Brazil. Anyhow, they’re not making anymore records now and played their final show in Chile for the Canción de Viña de Mar back in February of 2007. By the way, that festival is considered the most important music festival in all Latin America.
They’ve had quite a brilliant, albeit short career. After signing with Warner Music in 2000, their first, self-titled album was nominated for two Latin Grammy awards. They didn’t win that year because Shakira’s ass was as big as it ever was and shaking all over the world. But the album went Gold and they ended up touring with Colombian mega-star Alejandro Sanz. However, in 2002, their album Caraluna won a Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album. With this album, they scored several Top 10 hits all over South America. They won several other awards, which is great. I mean, it’s really amazing when great bands actually win awards, as opposed to the de-facto Mariah Carey-type…stuff.
So, I wanted to focus on their last studio album, Sin Vergüenza—“Shameless” in spanish. This album was nominated, once again, for best Latin pop album (Marc Anthony won that year, …zzz), and several tracks were in hot rotation around Latin America. Anyhow, Sin Vergüenza, the short version is—it’s SOLID! I mean like the rock of Gibraltar solid! As a whole, the arrangements, the musicianship, and the pure enjoyment factor are top notch. This is a great album to listen to details in your headphones, I’m sure you’ll enjoy picking the pieces apart. And if you can’t hold a note to save your life or don’t know which way you’re supposed to hold the guitar, but still love singing along to good music in the car or in the shower, you will both be pleased with this album.
“Sangre Americano” is a great opener, like a banner or a marquee to the rest of the album. Villamizar’s lyrics are literally talking about American Blood, which interesting enough could mean North or South America (or both). I think this is great because regardless of North or South, a lot of the same good and bad things makes and breaks a country and its people. He says:
“Yo, tengo sangre americano de una América que estaba antes del nombre”
or “I have American blood, an America before the name America.”
Another great track is “Pasos de Gigante,” or “Giant Steps.” The beginning is infectious, especially when the horns come in. It always reminds me of a great song to listen to while driving in a car on a short trip, you and your girl who makes a funny trombone-playing motion before she breaks out into her singing. The chorus is fantastic, and for some reason always sounds sweeter in spanish. He sings:
“Carito el corazón, me queda grande. Cuando yo pienso en ti, yo siento pasos de gigante.”
or “My dear I have a big heart. When I think of you, I feel giant steps.”
The song is about distance, longing, and hearts—but lover’s hearts, not chicken hearts (though both are delicious). Some of their songs could be considered typical rock songs in Spanish. However, there’s a lot of their material that uses a lot of more traditional rhythms and instrumentation. This song is one of them, employing a thick cumbia rhythm that’s guaranteed to stretch your neck from side to side.
Another example of how Bacilos is able to play a variety of Latin American styles is another favorite of mine, “La Mexicana”—I won’t bother translating that one. The horns remind me of a small band of Mariachis, but I could be mistaken on exactly which kind of Mexican style it is. At any rate, there’s a lot of yee haws and ay ya yays that’s sure to make you wanna shoot your pistol in the air and drink a beer out of the pitcher.
Then there’s “En los 70’s,” a nostalgic, easy-going track where he recalls all the subtle details of being a little kid. I’m a sucker for these kinds of lyrics. He cites things like retro Lacoste shirts to John Travolta kissing Olivia Newton-John (in Grease). I’m assuming Villamizar and I are fairly close in age, because a lot of these references to the 1970s are clear in my mind too. My favorite line is
“Como quisiera volver a escuchar, a mi mamá medio hippie cantar”
or “As I once again listen to my mom, a bit hippie, singing.”
The beginning of “Feliz Conmigo” irritates me a bit—the electronic blippity-blip noise. But I typically stick with it and eventually the the Brazilian rhythms more than makes up for it.
“La Olla” has a reggae beat, but not super-reggaeified—hear me now! It’s nice how they will borrow a style yet whether a cumbia, reggae, or samba beat, but make it a Bacilos song. The last song is actually has an African Pop sound to it—“Simba Awe Huru.”
Another detail I really love is the diverse instrumentation sprinkled in the album here and there. There’s a nice violin arrangement that opens “Miro la Luna y Pienso en Ti,” a lazy banjo in “Colores, Colores,” and so on.
I just can’t say enough good things about this band and this release of theirs. I’ve played the thing back to back hundreds of times. It’s a real pity they split up, but I’m hoping each one makes a great solo album. I suppose that’s wishful thinking, I don’t think that’s EVER happened. At any rate, they had a good run, made some excellent records, what more could you ask for?
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