Fresh off the release of their intense single “Cuanto Heredamos,” the first cut from their upcoming studio album that in just over a month garnered more than 300 thousand organic views on YouTube in few days, Chilean-Argentine reggae group Zona Ganjah returns today with their latest offering “Juan,” released via CC Records.
“Juan” sees the group exploring their rap and hip hop side once again while, as always, sharing conscious, thought provoking lyrics to express their profound views of today’s world. In this song, Zona Ganjah brings to light the peril that lies in remaining divided as a society and the toll it will take on our future as a human race. In a powerful statement, the band invites fans to view social political reality from a new angle and contemplate the way in which we’ve repeatedly attempted to find the solution to our social problems in a political proposal, which ends up only pleasing one part of society or the other, therefore keeping us trapped without change. However, while these political polarities offer different views on common topics, such as economics, no one has the courage to address important issues that aren’t in the media’s agenda and often go unnoticed as a result, such as genetic modification of our food, which has caused us to lose autonomy of our seeds, and fracking and mega-mining, which takes the valuable resource of water away from us. With “Juan,” Zona Ganjah prompts fans to ponder whether or not we’ll really gain anything from these political polarities and suggests that what we actually need as a society is to be united.
Throughout Illusion Motel, Smurphio’s signature timbral tendencies are instantly identifiable; aqueous synth leads effortlessly navigate throughout rhythmic mazes of snapping & shuffling percussion, blanketed in painterly strokes of bass (this is Miami-made music, after all). Cuci’s emotive vocal & lyrical lines provide a challenging counterpoint, creating a tension too complex for standard-issue pop – a welcome sensory distortion, easily memorable even after only one taste. While thirteen tracks might otherwise prove a laborious listen, Afrobeta’s penchant for brevity, micro/macro sequencing and stylistic tourism leave no room for incidentals, coalescing into a tightly-curated affair.
Today the acclaimed group also releases the accompanying music video, which, in a change from their previous audiovisual projects, features a large cast of actors. Both the single and video were produced and self-recorded by the group’s creator and leader José Gahona in Mendoza, Argentina.
Over the course of 18 years, Zona Ganjah has enjoyed a 100 percent independent career, which has led them to take part in the most important Latin American festivals, including Vive Latino, Rock Al Parque, and Pal’ Norte, among others. Winning global attention and more than 6 million fans around the world across their social media accounts and platforms, they are, without question, one of the most important bands and one of the greatest names in reggae in the Spanish-speaking world.
