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Ojos de Brujo

Techari Live (Six Degrees)

By Ernest Barteldes

Published on March 19, 2008 at 11:35am

On this document of its 2007 world tour, the Barcelona-based, self-styled "hip-hop flamenco" band plays music from its latest studio recording of the same name while also going through some material from its back catalogue, delivering a high-energy performance that can be felt from the first moment. "Sultanas de Merkaillo" is played at almost twice the original tempo and includes a hot Afro-Cuban trumpet solo that is the tune's highlight. Their cover of Bob Marley's "Get Up, Stand Up" (recorded for a compilation last year) is miles away from Jamaica — they adapted the melody into a salsa-flamenco blend. Satyajit Talwalkar does a great job on "Interludio Tabla," an instrumental piece that leads to "Todo Tiende," which begins with a softer edge and then grows into a reggaeton-inflected arrangement that has much more soul than the original studio version (which focused on the vocals). Techari Live is an altogether breathtaking experience rivaled only by the band's live act.