The B-side of the pandemic: Sonorama en cuarentena
05/19/20
By Sonorama crew: Charly Garcia, Edgar, and Marlowe Baca
For us, as Sonorama, and many others, the start of 2020 was filled with a certain air of positivity, it was a time for good forward moves and changes. The year marked a 10 year milestone which we were excited about celebrating, but as the end of February came around news of a world event took center stage.
Chicago has always been home for Sonorama. The start came in 2010 in the form of a music blog about rescuing lost or forgotten vintage Latin sounds found on vinyl. Exploring these sounds meant sharing them which came in the form of DJ events and monthly parties at various venues worldwide. Built from the diverse vinyl collections of Charly Garcia and Edgar and Marlowe Baca, we use many platforms including blogs, podcasts, radio, art exhibitions, showcases, and in our latest effort, as an independent record label to research, rescue, and present new and old musical treasures.
On March 12th, talks of a stay at home ordinance was in the air, but not yet mandated. We were receiving news from other cities and states that businesses and schools were closing. The news was updating on the hour and things were evolving quickly. Sonorama found itself DJing an opening set for a new local synth pop group Valebol and New York’s tropical rock band Combo Chimbita headlining at Chicago’s iconic Hideout concert venue. Even though the show was sold out, not everyone had showed up. It was the first sign of people staying at home.
Even before taking the stage each band had already received news of upcoming shows being cancelled, and by the time our night was done all shows were cancelled. The fans gave the bands all their love and a proper send off. A day later, we received word from the venue management announcing their closure and that it would be the Hideout and Sonorama’s last venue event and the start of a not so positive and uncertain 2020.
First remote Sonorama Radio show at a friend’s house testing Facebook Live
With those recent cancellations and no more gigs lined up for Sonorama, our weekly radio show on Lumpen Radio, which was typically produced out of a radio booth, needed to continue. The crew had to reinvent the way to reach followers and present its music. Navigating the various online platforms that were bubbling up seemed daunting. Luckily, Charly (our most tech savvy member) took on the role of troubleshooting and learned these new tools for live streaming while dealing with copyright blocks of certain music and other technical obstacles to achieving a good transmission on social media. He set us up, the DJ trio, with HD cameras and instructions for remote access so we could stay in rotation (pun intended). Our first attempt at a remote radio show was out of a friend’s house with a small group attending. But soon after, we all decided to follow the social distancing guidelines, deciding to connect from each other’s home for future transmissions and for everyone’s safety.
Sonorama broadcasting live through Lumpen Radio and testing Twitch
Armed with the radio platform on a weekly basis, our focus shifted from strictly playing vinyl records on air to shining a spotlight on the musicians and DJs that were directly affected by this pandemic not only on the radio, but on our YouTube platform. After seeing the effects of these cancellations we knew that without events they were essentially out of work.
We reached out to independent artists and record collectors such as Combo Chimbita, Dos Santos, Nemegata, Polvo De Muertos, among others, to share their experiences and situations in which they found themselves distanced, but still able to create from home. These conversations were filled with laughter, doubt for what's to come, exploration in the form of daily practicing and musical experimentation, but ultimately it helped connect the musicians with their fans while staying up to date with what is coming from future releases and other side projects.
Sonorama interviewing Combo Chimbita (NYC)
Sonorama with Chicago’s Dos Santos on YouTube
Other online radio, music vlog projects and festivals were also taking similar actions to connect their communities around the globe through the love of music and vinyl. We soon received invitations from our friends in Mexico City. They had also cancelled a multi-day CDMX international festival, Latinos Con Soul, which pulled music lovers in from all over and reached out to Señor Marlowe to fill a DJ slot. Playing the set really provided a sense of normalcy, at least for that short time, and reminded us that we were not alone and together we could keep this going. Also, the online radio and podcast crew Spin that Shit asked us to do a takeover of their show which focuses on the history behind music in various vintage physical formats. This show was recorded in early March, and we chatted about this new quarantine landscape and played some vintage funky tracks that had a positive and uplifting message as a way of helping dull the edge of the situation. We hope they provide the same to you!
Sonorama Cuarentena Mini Mix:
Noel Soto - “Nos Falta Comunicación” (1975) / A song from Spanish underground singer that refers to the lack of communication when solving the problems within humanity, and reflects on not repeating the mistakes of the past.
Antorcha - “Mira” (Early 1970s) / A song from Mexican rock group that calls for unity among us, calling for a more caring and loving society that pushes our limits to stay knowledgeable about our history.
Eddie Palmieri - “Condiciones Que Existe” (1973) / A song from Newyorican pianist that talks about the prohibition of not hanging around, similar to our current scenario since the stay at home order.
This extra time during social distancing has allowed us to revisit our YouTube channel with a new project that we’ve titled Oro Negro/Black Gold. The name was created from a recent Marz+Sonorama beer brewing collab that bore the same name. This “black gold” simply refers to our deep love for vinyl records, which are really worth their weight in gold if not more. It’s definitely more... haha.
From the beginning of the collective, we knew we didn’t just want to amass this large collection of Latin music only for ourselves. Plus we were itching to have people hear that crazy synth cumbia that sounds as if Kraftwerk had secretly cut a cumbia record in Ecuador in the 80s (see Junior y su Equipo “Bien Bailadito”), or that crazy Spanish cover of “Rock Lobster” by Grupo Langosta. So, for that reason, we set out to share our unique finds and discoveries via our blog and its podcasts; then came DJ gigs, and most recently our on-going residency for Lumpen Radio.
‘Oro Negro’ process: logo, label scans, template, recording.
Despite this, for years we’ve seen and followed a number of like-minded “melomanos” (music lovers) post up to YouTube an ever expanding archive of artist/bands from virtually every genre you can think of, often breaking new obscure and geographically distinct musicians, and ultimately enriching our own knowledge of previously unknown music histories; who knew Panama had an incredible “sweet soul” scene in the 70s (see the Soul Fantastics, Little Francisco Greaves, among others)? Some notable examples include Frenéticos (a great YouTube channel for Peruvian rock and tropical sounds of the 60s/70s), salsabrava68 (with its focus on latin jazz/salsa), and even some institutional projects becoming YouTubers as well, take the Arhoolie Foundation’s “Frontera Project'' specializing in vintage Conjunto/Tex-Mex/Chicano sounds sourced from all formats 78s, 45rpms, and LPs.
While many artists and sub-genres have already had a spotlight on YouTube, so much music is still left to be discovered on those rare B-side grooves. This is where Sonorama hopes to step in and makes its own mark.
María Marquéz & Frank Harris- Canto de Pilón (1985)
Lastly, the closure of bars, and in effect the end of our monthly DJ residencies, put an end to a much needed source of income that funds the record label’s releases. With the nationwide lockdown affecting several states, we saw two of our upcoming releases become directly affected; one of them, the debut album from Austin-based band Nemegata titled “Hycha Wy.” In addition, our vinyl pressing plant located in Ohio was also forced to cease production and close its doors,initially with no set date to reopen, further leaving us in the dark as to know when we could continue our release schedule--luckily for us, the plant has since reopened and resumed its operations during this social distancing era.
We were then faced with another dilemma, to decide an appropriate time and make a judgement call whether people were ready to receive the news of a new release or if the news of the day was too much at the forefront of people’s psyche. We've seen other independent labels be faced with the same problem and decide to move forward with plans or simply make adjustments to the current situation, as we all have been forced to do.
Nemegata “Hycha Wy” LP, Sonorama Discos, 2020
While 2020 is by no means the year anyone could have ever expected, we continue to be as committed as ever to sharing our love for vintage Latin sounds, just as we did when we started 10 years ago. Of course we miss DJing out our records, connecting with fans, and having that sense of community that comes with being part of the music scene in Chicago. Though we don’t know when we will return to something we can call normal, we will stay connected with more like-minded artists, keep uploading our YouTube videos, and continue to self-release independent music to those who still believe el disco es cultura.
Sonorama is a Chicago-based DJ collective known for energizing dance floors and sound waves with a unique blend of vintage Latin sounds. Founded in 2010 by Charly Garcia and brothers Edgar and Marlowe Baca, Sonorama is a group of insatiable diggers and lovers of music on vinyl. In early 2015, the trio launched the debut of Sonorama Discos, marking their interest in seeking and releasing contemporary bands and music with links to Latin America's sonic past along with an ear for fresh approaches to that tradition. When the guys aren't busy DJing an event, you can catch their selections via podcasts, the occasional playlist or you might just run into them at your local record store.
sonoramachicago.com | IG: @sonoramachicago | sonoramadiscos.bandcamp.com
Sonorama worked on this piece with Stephanie Manriquez, the Quarantine Times Tuesday editor. Each week, Stephanie selects a Chicagoan to share a commissioned creative response to the pandemic.