A hefty sample of our Totó appears on the physical version of Jay-Z’s 4:44 featuring a loop of vocals from La Verdolaga on the track We Family. As Totó says ‘la musica ancestral’ is irresistible!
Toto La Momposina
Toto Features On New Jay Z album
Thursday, July 13th, 2017Toto la Momposina Euro 2017
Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Totó la Momposina will be touring Europe May/June 2017.
Dates will be announced soon.
Toto’s Tambolero goes to number 1 in the European charts!
Friday, September 4th, 2015Toto releases “Tambolero”
Monday, June 29th, 2015We are proud to announce the release of a new album by Toto la Momposina.
Tambolero
Click here to buy the album and find more information on this release.
A re-creation and re-imagining of the classic 1993 album ‘La Candela Viva’.
“You don’t normally get the chance to go back in time and recreate an album. Building on a classic project that began 24 years ago is a challenge and a delight!” John Hollis, producer.
An invitation to perform at the WOMAD Festival led to Totó’s participation in the first Real World Recording Week and ultimately to the recording of the songs – with legendary American producer Phil Ramone at the controls in 1991 and English producer John Hollis for the follow-up sessions in 1992 – that would become La Candela Viva. The international success of La Candela Viva, and the following two albums Carmelina 1995 and Pacantó 1999 (MTM/Colombia), would ignite Totó’s career in Colombia and finally see her recognized as a star in her own country. The music has continued to endure, including being routinely sampled by the world of dance and hip-hop (Michel Cleis, Da R3volution and Timbaland, to name but a few).
It was during the search for the original master tapes to find the parts for a Michel Cleis dance track that producer (and now son-in-law of Totó) John Hollis discovered something rather remarkable. Amongst the original 2” master tapes was a treasure trove of material: some 40 takes of 20 different songs. Material all involved had forgotten existed, until then. Not only was there a wealth of recorded material from the La Candela Viva sessions that didn’t make the original album there were also a number of previously unreleased songs too.
To restore the analogue tapes, which would otherwise slowly deteriorate, the first job was to bake them (literally!) to remove any moisture that had accumulated, making them playable again. The recordings could then be digitised to work with modern technology. A process of reassessing all the different versions and new songs, re-editing and over-dubbing began. “At this point it occurred to me that Totó’s granddaughters would add a nice texture to some of the chorus lines,” explains John. Totó happily agreed: “Claro, ellos son mis choristas [of course, they are my backing singers].” Soon after, Maria del Mar and Oriana Melissa entered The Wood Room at Real World Studios, the very same space in which Totó and her band performed their set live 23 years earlier; Maria was present, a toddler at the time, and
Oriana hadn’t been born. “It was a surreal moment and they delivered their parts beautifully,” adds John.
The result is Tambolero. More than just a re-release of La Candela Viva it is a genuine re-appraisal and re-imagining of the original. Tambolero is in effect a new album and one in which Totó La Momposina continues to reflect the experience of her native Colombia through her life and music. The two things are intertwined: the story of Totó La Momposina is truly the story of modern Colombia. It has also become a celebration of Totó’s professional career, which will soon reach a landmark 60 years – six decades dedicated to preserving, researching and developing an ancestral tradition, the identity of a people, passed down through the generations. This album is part of the REAL WORLD GOLD series of reissues.
Toto la Momposina – Curura Remix Competition
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2015Toto’s music has been sampled in many well known dance and hip hop tracks over the years, including tracks by Michel Cleis and Timbaland. Now, it’s your turn!
In advance of the release of Toto’s new album ‘Tambolero’ we are running a remix competition that allows you download the stems to Toto’s classic track ‘Curura’ so you can do your own remix. The winner will win a pair of Bowers & Wilkins headphones. Competition closes 17 July.
For full details and T&Cs go to www.realworldrecords.com/
Real World release unseen Toto video
Tuesday, May 19th, 2015Totó La Momposina went to Real World Studios in August 1991 to begin recording what would prove to be her most important album, now being re-released on Real World Records as ‘Tambolero’. In this never before seen footage from the original recording session, Totó delivers an outstanding live performance of El Pescador, surrounded by friends and guests. The soundtrack has been restored and remixed and features as a track on the new album.
Pre order “Tambolero” from iTunes and download ‘El Pescador’ instantly:
iTunes – http://smarturl.it/Tambolero-iTunes
Also available via:
iTunes – http://smarturl.it/Tambolero-iTunes
Amazon – http://smarturl.it/Tambolero-Amazon
Google Play – http://smarturl.it/Tambolero-Google
TOTO LA MOMPOSINA EUROPEAN TOUR 2015
Monday, November 17th, 2014Toto La Momposina Announces European Tour 2014
Friday, January 24th, 2014
Toto will be touring Europe in February 2014 with her full band.
The dates are:
2014-02-14 RASA UTRECHT
2014-02-15 THEATRE MOLIERE BRUSSELS
2014-02-16 GROUNDS ROTTERDAM
2014-02-18 KONZERTHAUS DORTMUND
2014-02-19 KONZERTHAUS BERLIN
2014-02-20 BRUCKNERHAUS LINZ
2014-02-22 ELBPHILHARMONIE HAMBURG
2014-02-27 ROCKSTORE MONTPELLIER
2014-02-28 SALA APOLO BARCELONA
Go to the events page for more ticket details
TOTO RECEIVES LATIN GRAMMY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Friday, December 6th, 2013
Congratulations to Toto for her Lifetime Achievement Award which she received at the Latin Grammys in Las Vegas. She graciously said in her address that the Award was for all those who had helped her on the way – her family, all the musicians that have passed through her band, her son Marco Vinicio and her son-in-law John Hollis.