Meridian Brothers

Meridian Brothers play irreverent, futurist electro-cumbia, melding historic, modern, and experimental Latin and Afro-Latin polyrhythms, rhythms, and genres. Composer/multi-instrumentalist Eblis Álvarez records albums solo but performs with a band live. 2006's El Advenimiento del Castillo Mujer showcased mutant cumbia and Currulao, while 2012's Desesperanza, conceived as a salsa concept album, went far afield. 2014's Salvadora Robot revisioned vintage vallenato for the 21st century. 2019's Dónde Estás María employed cello atop cumbia, reggaeton, and Andean huaynos rhythms. 2022's El Grupo Renaciamiento marked the first release from New York's Ansonia Records in three decades. In 2024, Meridian Brothers released Mi Latinoamérica Sufre, a concept album reflecting the potential for electric guitar in a tropical Latin context, inspired by rhythmic traditions from African highlife and soukous. Two years later they collaborated with Mexican Institute of Sound on the long-player Ruido Tovar, a tribute to Mexican cumbia legend Rigo Tovar.