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Reyna Tropical

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Reyna Tropical
Years active2016–present
LabelsPsychic Hotline
MembersFabi Reyna
Past membersNectali "Sumohair" Díaz
Websitelareynatropical.com

Reyna Tropical is a US band founded by Fabi Reyna and Nectali "Sumohair" Díaz in 2016. Their music is influenced by Colombian, Peruvian, and Mexican musical styles, as well as Congolese rhythms. Reyna Tropical have released two EPs and one studio album. Since Díaz's death in 2022, Reyna has been the sole member of the band.

History

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Fabi Reyna and Nectali Díaz were both born in Mexico and raised in the US.[1] Reyna is the founder of She Shreds Media and has played guitar professionally with bands including Priests, Raveena, and Sleater-Kinney.[2] Díaz was a DJ and producer, and was active in the nightclub scene in Los Angeles.[2][3] The pair met at a Red Bull Music Academy event in 2016, where they bonded over a shared appreciation for Bomba Estéreo.[4]: 18:22–18:45  In early recording sessions Díaz encouraged Reyna to sing, which she wasn't previously comfortable doing.[5]: 18:50–19:15 

2018–2022: Career as a duo

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Reyna Tropical self-released their first EP Reyna Tropical in January 2018. It was called "refreshingly succinct and buoyant" by NPR.[1] The tracks were initially recorded in a series of 4-hour improvised sessions.[6] In December 2018 Reyna Tropical supported Bomba Estéreo on their US Jungla Tour, after being invited to do so by lead singer Li Saumet.[6][7]

In March 2019, Reyna Tropical performed at the opening party of SXSW Music Festival,[8] and in April they played at Estéreo Beach Festival in Santa Marta, Colombia.[9] Reyna and Díaz's experiences with nature in Colombia inspired their second EP Sol y Lluvia, which they released in August 2019.[6][2] Similarly to the first EP, the tracks were initially recorded in improvised sessions.[10]

Nectali Díaz died unexpectedly in July 2022.[2] In a 2023 interview, Reyna said that "for several months I didn’t know how to perform on stage without him, or how to write music without him...it left me with the question of, "How is this going to continue? Is this fair, is this what he wants?" But the answer was always a resounding yes."[2] The first song that Reyna wrote after Díaz's death was "Ya Va Pasar", using a beat created by Díaz, and the song was released as a single on independent record label Psychic Hotline in November 2023.[2]

2022–present: Malegría

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In March 2024, Reyna Tropical's debut album Malegría was released on Psychic Hotline.[11] The album includes material that Reyna and Díaz had been working on together as far back as July 2020.[12] The title of the album is a portmanteau of the Spanish words mal (bad) and alegría (happiness),[3] and was taken from the title of a Manu Chao song.[13] Isabelia Herrera of Pitchfork described Malegría as "an incisive exploration of the porosity of diasporic life", and rated it 7.7/10.[14] Herrera also wrote that the album contains influences of chicha, zapateado, and soukous rhythms.[14] PopMatters rated the album 8/10, and called it a "wild creation."[15] Anne Lorenz of Westdeutscher Rundfunk described the album as "a stormy celebration of queer Afro culture."[16]: q  Reyna Tropical toured with Portugal. The Man to support the album,[11][13] and performed at Newport Folk Festival in July 2024.[17]

Musical style and themes

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Reyna Tropical's music takes influence from traditional Latin American and African rhythms and musical styles. In an article for BrooklynVegan, Bill Pearis described Malegría as incorporating "musical styles from all over the Southern hemisphere, including Congolese, Peruvian, Colombian grooves," and Fabi Reyna named tracks by Manu Chao, Priya Ragu, Café Tacvba, and Dennis Brown as influences on the album.[13] In 2024 Reyna told Alternative Press that "recently, my influences have formed to become folks that play in West Africa, in the Congo, soukous, champeta, chicha, Peruvian cumbia, and those folks are mimicking bird sounds and a lot of nature sounds."[12] Richard Villegas of Remezcla wrote that "influences from champeta, buyerengue [sic] and ancestral chanting can be heard across Reyna Tropical’s small but vibrant catalogue."[6] According to Emilly Prado of NPR, Reyna Tropical "highlight and reimagine the multicultural influences of their childhoods through Afro-Mexican melodies, cumbias spanning from Mexico to Peru, and expert digital mixing."[1]

Improvisation

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Both of Reyna Tropical's EPs began as improvised sessions between Reyna and Díaz.[6][10] Reyna has said that "my creative process often involves being in Colombia, learning from local people, recording on the beach with my interface and guitar, improvising lyrics on the spot."[18]: q 

Culture and identity

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Fabi Reyna sees her mixed cultural heritage as fundamental to her music.[19] In 2019 she said that "when I met Sumo, we blended our worlds of music and activism, where I focus on queer identity and being a Mexican woman living in America."[6] Díaz was Afro-Mexican, and the band had a motto of "Queer Love and Afro-Mexico", which Rolling Stone described as being "at the heart of their music".[2][6]

Reyna has described Reyna Tropical as "a project that explores diasporic experiences,"[18]: q  and said that the album Malegría focuses on the process of "learning to trust myself and discovering the power of being a mestiza woman."[18]: q  In another interview she said that "I am a mixture of many worlds, so my art...brings together all the worlds, all the diasporic experiences of my own life."[20]: q 

Discography

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Albums

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  • Malegría (2024, Psychic Hotline)

Extended plays

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  • Reyna Tropical (2018, self-released)
  • Sol y Lluvia (2019, self-released)

Singles

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  • "Oro" (2018, self-released)
  • "Como Fuego" (2019, self-released)
  • "Dolor" (2020, self-released)
  • "Ya Va Pasar" (2023, Psychic Hotline)

References

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  1. ^ a b c Emilly Prado (2018-01-22), "Songs We Love: Reyna Tropical, 'Niña'", npr.org, NPR, archived from the original on 2018-04-22, retrieved 2024-04-22
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Jordan Hernandez (2023-11-16), "How Reyna Tropical Channeled Grief Into a Vibrant Celebration of Life", rollingstone.com, Rolling Stone, archived from the original on 2023-11-28, retrieved 2024-04-22
  3. ^ a b Matthew Trueherz (2024-03-27), "Reyna Tropical Is in Concert with the Universe", pdxmonthly.com, Portland Monthly, archived from the original on 2024-03-31, retrieved 2024-04-22
  4. ^ Felix Contreras; Fabi Reyna (2019-08-16), "Guest DJ: Fabi Reyna, She Shreds Magazine Founder And Musician", npr.org, Alt.Latino, archived from the original on 2022-07-01
  5. ^ Anamaria Artemisa Sayre; Fabi Reyna (2023-01-18), "Reyna Tropical: How Fabi Reyna learned to listen to her revolutionary intuition", npr.org, NPR, archived from the original on 2024-02-05, retrieved 2024-04-22
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Richard Villegas (2019-09-26), "Reyna Tropical: A Queer Love Revolution", remezcla.com, Remezcla, archived from the original on 2023-11-30, retrieved 2024-04-23
  7. ^ FarahSosa (2018-12-13), "Bomba Estéreo and Reyna Tropical heat up the Novo Los Angeles with a fiery jungle of sounds", grimygoods.com, Grimy Goods, archived from the original on 2024-01-28, retrieved 2024-04-23
  8. ^ Hayden Bagot (2019-02-27), "2019 SXSW Music Opening Party Lineup Announced", sxsw.com, SXSW, retrieved 2024-04-23
  9. ^ "Estéreo Beach 2019: una fiesta llena de 'Baile Sagrado'", radionica.rocks (in Spanish), Radiónica, 2019-04-11, archived from the original on 2023-12-11, retrieved 2024-04-23
  10. ^ a b Stefanie Fernández (2019-09-04), "Alt.Latino Playlist: Looking Forward To Fall With New Music (Reyna Tropical, "Tristeza")", npr.org, NPR, archived from the original on 2023-04-17, retrieved 2024-04-22
  11. ^ a b Taylor Mims (2024-03-05), "How Rising Act Reyna Tropical Spun Tragedy Into a Long-Awaited Debut", billboard.com, Billboard, archived from the original on 2024-03-12, retrieved 2024-04-22
  12. ^ a b Neville Hardman (2024-03-25), Reyna Tropical’s Malegría is a documentary of love and strength, Alternative Press, archived from the original on 2024-03-29, retrieved 2024-04-22
  13. ^ a b c Bill Pearis (2024-03-29), "Reyna Tropical on how Manu Chao, BiD/Seu Jorge, Robin S and more inspired her debut album 'Malegría'", brooklynvegan.com, BrooklynVegan, retrieved 2024-04-23
  14. ^ a b Isabelia Herrera (2024-04-11), "Malegría (review)", pitchfork.com, Pitchfork, archived from the original on 2024-04-18, retrieved 2024-04-23
  15. ^ Steve Horowitz (2024-04-19), "Reyna Tropical Find the Bitter and the Sweet on 'Malegría'", popmatters.com, PopMatters, retrieved 2024-04-23
  16. ^ Anne Lorenz (2024-04-05), "Album Review: Reyna Tropical – "Malegria"", wdr.de (in German), Westdeutscher Rundfunk, archived from the original on 2024-04-21, retrieved 2024-04-23
  17. ^ "2024 Lineup", newportfolk.org, Newport Folk Festival, retrieved 2024-04-23
  18. ^ a b c Rocío Merino, "Entrevista con Reyna Tropical", vibras.com.mx (in Spanish), Vibras, archived from the original on 2024-04-23, retrieved 2024-04-23
  19. ^ Fabi Reyna (2024-03-08), "Women Are Forging New Guitar Pathways: Reyna Tropical Writes For Clash (An International Woman's Day essay)", clashmusic.com, Clash, archived from the original on 2024-04-23, retrieved 2024-04-23
  20. ^ Bere Giles, "Reyna Tropical nos envuelve con la dualidad de "Malegría" [Entrevista]", mrindie.com (in Spanish), MrIndie, archived from the original on 2024-04-23, retrieved 2024-04-23
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