El Balcón is a Latin Fusion ensemble based out of Montreal. Their members include a myriad of musicians who specialize in the violin, upright bass, out, beats of the cajon, donkey jawbone, jacana, and tarima (yes, those are all real instruments). Their lead singer Valeria Del Marre brings an amazing quality of voice to the group.
El Balcón started with the re-imagining of folk songs to create new life from the classics. One could imagine with such a feeling of ensemble and reverie, that no two shows are ever the same. The group posits that they are more than just a band; they are a vibrant musical experience with an intention to create dance, dreams, and connection. This is world music at its finest.
Their new album, El Errante (The Wanderer) is slated for release on March 14th of 2025. And the Indy Review got a sneak preview!
The album opens with the song, “Tierras LeJanas (Distant Islands)” with the feeling of a joyous pub in the Shire. It is lively and has a quality of life that feels like it is in the room with you. It’s a song to dance on tables to with pints in your hands.
The second song “Granito de Arena” (Grain of Sand) offers a transition moment with whistles and drums, bringing it into the third song: “Casa Blanca” (White House). This song has Arabic scales in the guitar opening, Spanish female vocals lead you into the song. The deep strings come in, and a bit of a tantalizing percolation of South Asia, the Middle East, or as the name Casablanca suggests, perhaps something Moroccan.
The fourth song, “El Errante (The Wanderer)”, and the namesake of the album, opens with slow bass, gentle like ocean waves, with a light plucking dancing above it like a seabird on a somber day. It has an antique quality with the vocals coming as if from an old Hollywood film.
The album then softens into the stripped down, “Enredada (Entangled)” with beautiful melodic vocals and riffs, trilled ‘r’s, Spanish guitar, and muffled drums. It builds with a male vocalist and feels like a song your elders would all know the dance moves for, at a Lebanese wedding.
Next, “La Pradera” (The Prairie) which is very pretty, opens with strong female vocals and more Spanish feeling. Here, a male vocalist joins and the violin takes center stage. And then, “La Huerta” (The Orchard)” keeps a slower pace, with a male-female call and response. It is quiet at first, but then comes alive for chorus. The album finds its pace and carries its lively energy throughout the album, creating a unified piece that begs you to go see El Balcón live.
Please check out their linktree for updates on their movements and new productions. Hear El Errante on March 14th, and listen to the pre-released tracks here.
The Indy Review 