Ondatrópica (Deluxe Versión) / Ondatropica (Deluxe Version)

An adventurous exploration of Colombia’s rich musical heritage that features a near-unclassifiable mélange of musical styles, Ondatropica started life as the brainchild of Colombian bandleader Mario Galeano and British DJ/producer Will Holland. It soon mutated into a wooly and unhinged collaborative effort that eventually attracted the talents of more than 40 musicians. The roster of participants includes illustrious names from the golden age of Colombian popular music, like Michi Sarmiento, Jauncho Vargas, and Anibal Velasquez, as well as a host of younger players. Though the collection is dominated by cumbia's loping two-step rhythms, a dizzying array of styles are represented here, from fandango, gaita, and champeta to salsa, boogaloo, ska, and even klezmer. The result is surprisingly cohesive, thanks largely to bandleader Mario Galeano’s ability to navigate multiple musical traditions while maintaining a consistent overall sound. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to listeners familiar with Galeano’s genre-bending work as the leader of Frente Cumbiero, whose 2011 release Frente Cumbiero Meets Mad Professor was an engagingly successful fusion of cumbia and dub reggae.