New York-based ensemble King Chango supplies Latin music with its sharpest intensity by merging dancehall chants, deep space dub, direct skanking, and Latin rhythms into some of the most forceful contemporary dance material. Spin magazine portrays their approach as blending "Gen-X irony with the street energy of classic salsa and a hyperactive horn section." Deriving its name from the deity of music and festivity in the Afro-Cuban religion of Santeria, the band was established by Venezuela-born lead singer Andrew "Blanquito Man" Blanco, a second-degree blackbelt and graphic designer who created logos for professional soccer teams, the Toronto Raptors, and the Florida Panthers. Its roster comprises Glenda Lee on bass, Luis Eduardo Blanco on keyboards, accordion, cuatro and percussion, Fernando Velez on percussion, Martin Adrian Cunningham on tenor saxophone, Mike Wagner on trombone and guitars, Miguel Oldenberg on guitars, and Luis Jesus Ruiz on drums and percussion. The self-titled debut album from 1996 received this assessment from Dirty Linen: "a truly subversive release with tons of positive energy." Blanco authored most of the lyrics, which adopt stances against drugs and violence while favoring revolution.
Don't Drop Your PantsKing Changó · 1996King Changó4:02
FinalmenteThe Return of El Santo · 2000The Return of El Santo4:33
