Marlango

Comprised of Leanor Watling, Alejandro Pelayo, and Oscar Ybarra, the pop/jazz/experimental trio Marlango cultivated a devoted underground following across Europe during the closing years of the 1990s. The group derived its name from a little-known Tom Waits allusion and drew creative impetus from the shadowy atmospheres of filmmakers and musicians such as David Lynch and Björk. Prior to the 1998 demo sessions, Watling had already established herself within Madrid’s jazz and soul circles, while Pelayo brought a deep grounding in classical composition and virtually no prior immersion in pop forms. The two convened that year to lay down a series of voice-and-piano pieces; recent arrival Oscar Ybarra, a trumpeter transplanted from New York, encountered the recordings, contributed his skills, and promptly became the ensemble’s third member. The resulting sound incorporated rock and jazz elements that coalesced into the self-titled debut album Marlango. Extensive touring through Spain, Portugal, and Japan generated more than 50,000 units sold and earned the group its first gold certification. Their follow-up, Automatic Imperfection, arrived in 2005 and likewise attained gold status. On the third album, Jorge Drexler and Miguel Bosé appeared as featured artists, signaling Marlango’s growing stature and wider recognition. Electrical Morning surfaced in 2007, after which the band sustained an intensive schedule of performances at Spain’s most respected intimate spaces, among them Fórum Fnac Valencia and Teatro Moderno in Murcia.