Ojos de Brujo

Ojos de Brujo are less a band than an anarchist artists' collective that happened to have crafted one of the best world music albums of the new millennium with 2002's Bari. But the group actually came together in 1996 as a loosely-organized conglomeration of folks who liked to jam together, including three percussionists, two flamenco guitarists, a turntablist and assorted vocalists. The group shared a love for everything from hip-hop, funk and soul to hardcore traditional flamenco and rumba. Four years after the jam sessions began, they released their self-produced debut, the well-received Vengue, and critics began to take notice of their explosive punk rock approach to flamenco. Frontman Dani Monoloco stepped aside to let vocalist Marina "Las Canillas" Abad take the reins for Bari. Abad's flamboyant style and DIY aesthetic suited the b! and perfectly, while her strong songwriting skills helped shape the band's evolving sound. By 2004 Bari had not only enraptured their hometown, Barcelona, but also garnered the group a BBC Radio 3 Award and international acclaim.