PERFORMANCE: MARIO GALEANO TORO

FALLA COMÚN DEL BÉNDIX (Part 1, 2, 3 & Coda) – A piece performed live and without cuts using an electronic ecosystem that emits from SalgaelSol studios based in the city of Bogotá, Colombia. It is compromised of analog/digital equipment where some Latin-american made pieces stand out, such as the Mostro synthesizer built in Medellin, Hanan Cumbia drum machine built in Mexico City and the TITAN 3000 mixer built by the Colombian esoteric Mágnum Astron in the 70s. Together with other equipment made in Europe, North America and Asia, the setup itself is a comment of the tight spot that the latin-american electronic scene has, always technically and aesthetically under the shadow of anglocentrism. “Falla Común del Béndix” (Common Failure of the Bendix) talks about interpersonal relationships during pandemic times, encounters and missed encounters mediated by social media and how our gears are constantly engaging and disengaging. Composed by Mario Galeano Toro in March 2021.

Colombian composer, arranger, and producer Mario Galeano Toro has dedicated the past 20 years to finding new paths for Latin-American musical identities through influential tropicalist projects, ranging from roots to experimental. These projects include bands such as Frente Cumbiero, Los Pirañas, and Ondatrópica, having released more than a dozen records and performed in over 35 countries in all 5 continents.

Mario studied composition in the World Music department of Rotterdam´s Conservatory in the Netherlands. His artistic approach has been defined by creating dialogues and collaborations with musicians as diverse as Michi Sarmiento, Kronos Quartet, Jorge Drexler, Mad Professor and Minyo Crusaders. As a producer, he has materialized very ambitious projects such as Ondatrópica where around 70 musicians were summoned for an epic journey of Colombian musical styles and periods, nowadays considered cult recordings of Latin-American music.

In 2014 he was awarded with the Latin Grammy for the production of the record “Bailar en la Cueva” by Uruguayan songwriter Jorge Drexler. His flagship project Frente Cumbiero has always focused on contemporary cumbia discourses and has featured the likes of dub legend Mad professor and Japanese explorers Minyo Crusaders. As a composer, he has been commissioned works twice by the Kronos Quartet, one of those for the Fifty For the Future project. He is also a world-renowned record collector and selector of music from Latin-America, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Black Mountain College Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center Mario Galeano Toro Cumbia Colombia