King Chango

Latin music is given its hardest edge by New York based band King Chango. Combining dancehall chants, deep space dub, straight up skanking and Latin rhythms, King Chango creates some of contemporary music’s most intense dance music. According to Spin magazine, the band combines “Gen-X irony with the street energy of classic salsa and a hyperactive horn section.” King Chango, which takes its name from the god of music and partying in the Afro-Cuban religion of Santeria, was formed by Venezuela born lead vocalist Andrew “Blanquito Man” Blanco, a second degree blackbelt and graphic designer who designed the logs for professional soccer teams, the Toronto Raptors and the Florida Panthers. The group also features Glenda Lee (bass), Luis Eduardo Blanco (keyboards, accordion, cuatro and percussion), Fernando Velez (percussion), Martin Adrian Cunningham (tenor saxophone), MIke Wagner (trombone and guitars), Miguel Oldenberg (guitars) and Luis Jesus Ruiz (drums and percussion). King Chango’s self-titled debut album, released in 1996, was described by Dirty Linen as “a truly subversive release with tons of positive energy”. The group’s lyrics, mostly written by Blanco, take an anti-drug, anti-violence and pro-revolution stance. ~ Craig Harris