Da Lata reinvent with ‘Refab’, their new album and launch at London Jazz Festival with Celtic Connections show just added. More than twenty years recording, performing and DJing and Da Lata’s international fraternity continues to expand as they get set to release ‘Refab’ on November 24 through Agogo Records
The 13 track album features a combination of re-imagined versions of tracks from their studio album ‘Fabiola’ from the likes of Drumagick & Prophets of the South, new material with contributions from Knytro, Jason Yarde and Vanessa Freeman plus a specially commissioned Da Lata remix of Angolan singer Wyza.
Led by DJ Patrick Forge and Chris Franck (Smoke City/Zeep), Da Lata have consistently questioned the conventional map of Brazilian, Latin & African music, remoulding traditional styles with a pioneering aesthetic and energy guided by club culture and their unique take on ‘world’ music.
Since the late 90s and the unprecedented success of Chris Franck’s Brazil tinged trip hop outfit Smoke City (Underwater Love), the production duo have always been running parallels with the underground exchanging remixes and production work with some top producers including Sly and Robbie, Seiji, Femi Kuti, Charles Webster, Shuya Okino, Baaba Maal, Bebel Gilberto and Ernest Ranglin.
Chris Franck enthuses over the concept of reinvention and remixing “This album extends our vision, our concept. We’ve handpicked these remixers, they’re all connected to the ethos. Da Lata is a global project, in its organic and electronic forms’.
Special guests, musicians and remixers invited to partake include South London rapper Knytro, Indian Bollywood flautist Naveen Kumar, Croatian production duo Eddy & Dus, Brazil D & B producers Drumagick & Tranquilo Soundz, South African/Scottish house unit Prophets of the South and Dutch beatmeister Pushin Wood.
Many of the original Da Lata family feature including vocalists Jandira Silva & Vanessa Freeman, Senegalese kora player Diabel Cissokho, former Smoke City co-collaborator Marc Brown, engineer and house music supremo Toni Economides and of course the Da Lata house band featuring Mike Patto, Ernie McKone, Finn Peters, Jason Yarde, Tristan Banks, Davide Giovannini and Carl Smith.
Organic and live
Da Lata’s studio album ‘Fabiola’ was released in October 2013 after a 10 year hiatus. The band, led by Brazilian songstress Jandira Silva, is back on blistering live form and have re-established their reputation for blowing audiences away – last year the Lukas Awards awarded them best Brazilian act. New shows have been announced as part of London Jazz Festival and Celtic Connections in Glasgow. Fabiola features a slew of guests including Mayra Andrade, Luisa Maita, Graveola, Diabel Cissokho and Finn Peters.
