After live sessions with Nawras Altaky, a fungus and Greetje Bijma & Oceanic, our collaboration with Le Guess Who? brought to a striking end by Conjunto Papa Upa, a psychedelic cumbia band that aims for danceability but does not shy away from a bit of tension. We captured the collective in the coffee roastery of Utrecht pride The Village.
Alex Figueira never had the luxury of "aural privacy" during his childhood in Caracas. In the streets, supermarkets, in public transport; music was everywhere. In those early years of his life, the sound of his band Conjunto Papa Upa is deeply rooted. The Amsterdam-based band is a melting pot of salsa, surf, funk, cumbia, Caribbean and Afro-Latin American rhythms; a diverse and colorful musical palette, where the groove is always in charge. For Front and Le Guess Who? they play 'Libre Para Amar' and 'Bate Quebrao' from their debut album Libre Para Amar.
Conjunto Papa Upa's session is part of Vunk On Vacation, an alternative travel program of the Le Guess Who? festival. Where in a normal year the festival visitor can be surprised by exciting acts in interesting places throughout Utrecht, this year the legendary Rotterdam DJ David Vunk takes them on a journey of discovery through the Dom city. In the fourth and final episode, which can be seen below, he visits The Village Coffee in the Voorstraat and tries out the entire specialty beer menu of De Kromme Haring.
Cinematography: Peter Marcus, Koen Bouman en Yuma Eekman
Production: Nick Helderman en Noortje Koster
Recording: Jasper Boogaard en Fokke de Wit
Mix and master: Fokke de Wit
Edit: Peter Marcus
Written by: Ruben van Dijk
Vunk on Vacation – Episode 4, featuring The Village, Conjunto Papa Upa, Brewpub De Kromme Haring
