We re excited to introduce the latest addition to the Nacional family— The Chamanas, who hail from one of the most notoriously violent borders in the world (El Paso/Ciudad Juarez) and find a way to make it sound sweet. We ll be releasing their first full-length album Once-Once on September 4.
The 3-piece band was started in 2013 by Manuel Calderon, Hector Carreon, and Amalia Mondragon in El Paso Texas/Ciudad Juarez. The band refers to itself as “A metaphorical bridge” between the two border cities. Their sound draws influences from 70 s Mexican pop, traditional latin rhythms, and modern indie music, and fuses all of them together into catchy, poignant, dreamy melodies that you ll want to keep on a loop.
The Chamanas have performed alongside bands like Zoe, Jarabe de Palo, Enjambre on many acclaimed stages, including SXSW. The forthcoming album is a collection of songs written since the founding of the band, including a translated cover of the Portugal The Man song ‘Purple Yellow Red and Blue,’ which hoisted them into the spotlight and lead them to receive early support from KEXP, Rdio, and Spotify. We’re so excited to hear more from them.
