Diamante Eléctrico

Diamante Eléctrico emerged in 2013 as a Bogotá-based Colombian rock trio whose restless style shifts across blues-rock, pop punk, indie rock, and R&B. International rock outlets and acts from the Foo Fighters to the Rolling Stones have singled out the group’s overdriven textures, fueled by visceral live shows and sharply crafted videos. Most tracks clock in at three to four minutes, built around concise hooks, saturated production, layered vocal harmonies, and a controlled yet explosive drive. The 2014 release B captured that approach, securing the Latin Grammy for Best Rock Album and earning designation from Colombia’s Rolling Stone as the year’s premier rock album; by comparison, the 2018 follow-up Buitres, shaped by extended touring and studio sessions, achieved notable chart placement and fresh Latin Grammy recognition.

Juan Galeano on vocals and bass, guitarist Daniel Álvarez, and drummer Andee Zeta formed the band in Bogotá that year. Their self-titled debut appeared almost immediately, topping local charts behind the single “Nos Rompemos Igual.” B repeated the commercial climb and added the Latin Grammy for Best Rock Album of the Year. The 2016 album La Gran Oscilación marked a further step: captured on analog tape with mixing assistance from Third Man Records engineer Joshua Smith, whose credits include Jack White and the Raconteurs, the record embraced an experimental, conceptual scope that stood as the trio’s most ambitious statement. At the 2017 Latin Grammy ceremony, both the album and its single “Déjala Rodar” prevailed in the rock categories.

Following extensive touring across Latin America, Europe, and the United States, Galeano and his bandmates immersed themselves in soul and R&B, from classic Motown figures such as Marvin Gaye to contemporary work by Childish Gambino. Intent on moving beyond their usual live-in-studio process, Galeano, serving as producer, persuaded the others to record in multiple locations. Over eight months the group worked at Nebula Studios in Bogotá and Electric Lady Studios in New York, with mixing handled by Brandon Borst and mastering by Gavin Lurseen. The resulting Buitres placed groove at its core, drawing on sampled ’60s and ’70s soul alongside vintage beats and percussion; tracks such as “Oro” and “Nefertiti” blended pop and funk, while Anna Bulbrook of the Airborne Toxic Event contributed violin to “Casino” and the all-female mariachi ensemble Flor de Toloache appeared on the charting closer “No Me Lo Pidas.” Issued in September 2018, the album reached the digital Top Ten in five Latin American countries and earned two Latin Grammy nominations.

In 2019 Diamante Eléctrico issued Buitres & Co., revisiting the entire album with guest collaborators on every track except the reprise of “No Me Lo Pidas” with Flor de Toloache. Additional contributors included Bunbury on “Hacia la Noche,” the Dead Weather’s Alison Mosshart on “El Naufragio,” and Vicente Garcia on “Solo Tú, Dueles.”