Zemog El Gallo Bueno plays 21st Century Latin music, reflecting all of the contradictions and cultural tensions of what it means to be Latin in America in 2009. Bandleader Abraham Gomez-Delgado, of Peruvian descent, left his native Puerto Rico as a child and relocated to the US, and as a result Zemog's music incorporates everything from bomba and plena to Sun Ra and Van Halen in an uncategorizable, unique sound.
Downbeat magazine says Zemog "does for Afro-Latin music what Tom Waits did for Weillian cabaret, bringing a madcap energy and willful weirdness to the basic ingredients and blowing it up with his personality. ...Zemog has developed an original, satisfying spin on Latin rock that reveals a understanding of the plena and bomba and a desire to subvert [stereotypical ideas of 'Latin music']. Gomez-Delgado grounds his group's music in clave rhythms, but ranges far and wide in his melodic constructions without ever suggesting a glib mish-mosh of ingredients."
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Press Reviews
New York Times-Review
" twisting genres at will and singing with skewed humor. But it's largely unplugged, taking the horn section and guitar vamps of Puerto Rican salsa and bending them by way of Mingus and Sun Ra." _ New York Times
Billboard-Review
"Dense rhythmic structures, avant brass and reed solos, vocals, and unpredictable arrangements make Zemog a challenging listening experience. Take the challenge; this is provocative music." Billboard
Jazziz- Review
"While all of this smacks of forced eccentricity, with Gomez it seems legit. He was born in Puerto Rico but played in a now-defunct Boston rock-salsa band that earned good reviews. With his professed love of Metallica and Motley Crue, Gomez created Zemog as a "post-salsa" outfit that mixes in a little rock on 13 tracks that still manage to sound folksy." Jazziz
All About Jazz - Review
"Bold, ballsy, brashy and fun, Zemog: El Gallo Bueno is one fine mutant Latin release. It inhabits seldom-inhabited nether musical regions; perhaps you owe yourself such a trip…" All About Jazz
Village Voice - Review
"Totally over-the-top eclecticism like rock en espanol hardly ever makes anymore: more all-encompassing than Manu Chao, even. Not to mention heavier, artsier, and maybe wackier--yet no less catchy." - Village Voice
Down Beat Magazine - Review
"The tunes are packed with little details, as guitar patterns collide and rub up against acerbic horn charts, and with each bar there seems to be some subtle shift. In some ways this does for Afro-Latin music what Tom Waits did for Weillian cabaret, bringing a madcap energy and willful weirdness to the basic ingredients and blowing it up with his personality" - Down Beat Magazine
BBC -Review
"This is marvelous stuff!" - BBC
Global Rhythm Magazine - Review
"Zemog is the new century's mad scientist, creating a musical hybrid so seemingly wrong it can be nothing but right." - Global Rhythm Magazine.
Exclaim! Review
"Nueva York Sessions is as much a record for the dancers as it is for the players. Musically pushing the boundaries of Latin music, Zemog joins the fraternity of forward-thinking Alter-Latino players that includes Ocote Soul Sounds, Grupo Fantasma and Señor Coconut." Exclaim!
Inside World Music -Review
"The music is folksy, energetic and jazzy. The vocals are certainly emotional and full of life. The Bed of the Congas should be on the minds of every Latin music fan!" - Inside World Music
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