Nemegata – “Si Landero Fuero a Marte”

SXSW 2023 – OEB Score 7, Popularity Index 2

Pairs well with…Xixa, Grupo Fantasma, Superfonicas

If you are looking for an explosive live set that might also expand your musical palette, put Nemegata on your list. A trio fronted by Víctor-Andrés Cruz with  César Valencia and Fabián Rincón, Nemegata mixes traditional Columbia cumbia with reverb laden psychedelic guitar solos and African percussive polyrhythms. The result is haunting and hypnotic, but its the anticipation of the next scorching reverb laden riff kept me from getting fully tranced out.  Nemegata reminds me of Xixa’s set last year. Xixa also plays a kind of Latin psychedelic fusion they call “desert blues.”  Although Xixa was only on my “Possibles” list last year, I stumbled into their show and was literally entranced.  

But don’t just take my word here. Nemegata has been making a name for its shows in Austin for a few years now, earning them “Top 10 Local Acts” in 2019, alongside the Black Pumas. With the release of their album Hycha Wy, however, Nemegata is now also receiving recognition for their recorded music, nominated for the 2022 and 2023 Austin Music Awards in the “Best of World Music” category.

While there are a few quasi-ballads on Hycha Wy, the best songs are the ones that lend themselves to extended live jams.  The band’s featured song on the Official SXSW Spotify playlist, “Si Landero Fuero a Marte,” is also my favorite so far.  You can find this song at around the 4:50 minute mark in the video below. (David Zlotnick)