Contento

Contento formed as a self-described "salsapunk" duo of Colombian producers living abroad. Their recordings fuse Latin house, EDM, and lo-fi textures with the rhythms of classic Nuyorican bugalu and salsa, Colombian and Argentinian cumbia, Puerto Rican bomba, Afro-Cuban son montuno, and West African Afrobeat. On their first album, Lo Bueno Está Aquí, sampling and programmed beats sit alongside contributions from live players. Their guiding principle is summed up in the statement: "The sound comes from what we have on hand in order to make the music."

Cali-born Paulo Olarte resides in Geneva, Switzerland, where he belongs to Acid Coco, El Dragón Criollo, and La Jungla while issuing his own Latin techno material. Medellín-born Sebastian Hoyos, known as Sano, lives in Barcelona and produces minimalist Latin house for the Berlin label Cómeme. The two first encountered each other in a German city during an Eddie Palmieri performance, where they found they shared a deep interest in salsa. They began exchanging ideas across distance and sending tracks online. Five years later they paused their other work to meet in person and decide how they wished to collaborate. From 2016 to 2019 they held recording sessions in Barcelona and Geneva, mapping out ideas, examining vintage rhythmic patterns, studying harmonies and instrumentation, and laying down tracks with help from local musicians. They settled on the name Contento, the Spanish word for "happy," then chose their eight strongest pieces for Lo Bueno Está Aquí, which appeared on Spain’s El Palmas Music imprint in late 2020.