Locobeach is a psychedelic cumbia disco pop band led by Venezuelan guitarist José Luis Pardo.
Locobeach
Well, if you say the band’s name with a Latin accent, you’ll get the joke.
The band is:
- José Luis Pardo on guitars and vocals
- Neil Ochoa on congas, percussion, electronics
- Joshua Camp on accordion, keyboards, vocals
- Edward Marshall on bass
The band’s work is filled with Latin humor. Their videos are very fun too. They show the influence of Venezuelan contemporary art , especially the work of the world renowned Venezuelan kinetic artist Carlos Cruz-Diez (1923-2019).
The band’s latest releases are singles Success on the Dance Floor (2017) and The Devil is a Charmer (2017). Latin dancing can be about deciding who feels good because you want someone to go home with you tonight. Their music plays to that.
In other words, if you want to find success on the dance floor, be careful because the devil is a charmer. Careful what you wish for!
Like the song says, “The devil is a charmer. He smiles and dances the samba. You better run baby, run baby, run baby, run.”
Their home base in New York City seems to be Barbès in Park Slope, Brooklyn. It’s incredible that you can see music at this level in such a tiny underground place in Brooklyn. There used to be a lot of places like that in New York, but they have mostly disappeared.
José Luis Pardo
Pardo is a multiple Grammy-winning Venezuelan guitarist who also founded Los Amigos Invisibles (1991) and Los Crema Paraiso (2010). He has been DJing since 1995 under the name DJ Afro.
Pardo grew up in Caracas.
For more information, visit locobeach.bandcamp.com