The Battle of Santiago can be many things — an historic battle, an infamous soccer match in Chile — but for our purposes, it’s an energetic band hailing from Toronto, Canada, home to one of the largest Cuban ex-pat communities in the world. What arises from Toronto’s remarkable immigrant population is Battle of Santiago, which fuses Afro-Cuban rhythms with a contemporary outlook that introduces elements of rock and electronica. According to the group’s founder, Michael Owen, “In the beginning we had a much more pan-Latin mix, with members from Chile, Venezuela and Mexico. But as the band evolved we added more and more Cuban members until we reached a critical mass, and our sound has taken on a much stronger Cuban flavor as a result.” This exciting sound is fully captured on its latest release, La Migra, where funk, cumbia, rumba, dub and electronica meld effortlessly. Battle of Santiago’s multimedia live show is not to be missed. You just might be a part of it.
Battle Of Santiago
