La Banda Morisca
Comprised of musicians from Cadiz, Spain with different professional backgrounds, La Banda Morisca’s music is a convergence of roots and traditional music evoking the cultural heritage of ancient al-Andalus.
The Sound of La Banda Morisca
The Andalusian charm of La Banda Morisca, which includes former Radio Tarifa and La Jambre, surrounds their new album “Algarabya,” recorded in two weekends and live to transmit the organic and energetic sound that characterizes them and in which the band’s style is consolidated.
José Cabral, guitarist, banjo, and vocalist in the band, explains that this spell is something that Andalusians carry inside of them, often without being aware of it, and that it indirectly permeates all the creations of La Banda Morisca.
“Algarabya,” an album of consolidation that marks a clear and definitive line of work. This need for a direct sound with a lot of energy was brought about the incorporation of Andrés Tomás Rodríguez, a drummer with “a lot of strength,” into the group.
JoseMari Cala, vocals, JuanMi Cabral “Coyote,” electric bass, and Antonio Torres, soprano and alto saxophones, complete the band.
The theme of the new songs is universal and very Andalusian, and the songs about love and heartbreak share the limelight with lyrics about Andalusia and its virtue. At times there is difficulty in distinguishing whether the songs are talking about love for the lover or love for God.
“Algarabya” draws from the deepest and most rural flamenco, from the corpus of medieval Andalusian music, and from the whole Mediterranean, including the Maghreb and Syria — everything that Andalusian music means with all its roots.
La Banda Morisca’s second album Gitana Mora was named one of the best world music albums by Mondo Sonoro.
About La Banda Morisca
Inspired by their Andalusí heritage and by the folkloric cannon of ballads, La Banda Morsica has developed a creative and unique vision of a repertoire that combines the traditions of the Eastern and Western Mediterranean with the spirit of flamenco and Andalusian rock.
La Banda Morisca released its self-titled debut album in 2013. It was followed by Algarabya in 2016 and Gitana Mora in 2020.
Between 2016 and 2019, the band has performed at some of the most important festivals and venues in the world, including SXSW, the New York Flamenco Festival, the Arab World Festival of Montreal, The Small World Music Center in Toronto, the New England Conservatory in Boston, The Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, Miami Dade College, the Miami Flamenco Festival, the Havana World Music Festival, the Merzouga International Festival, L´Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, the Festival des Musiques Métisses de Angoulême, the Spanish Pavilion at the 2017 Astana World Expo, the Sharq Taronalari Festival in Samarcanda, where they were awarded the Festival Jury Prize, WOMEX 2017 in Katowice, the Fira Mediterrania, the Krems Festival and the Sziget Festival in Budapest.
