il abanico

Hailing from Brooklyn via Bogotá, il Abanico are making major moves in the indie music world. They recorded and self-released their first work “Crossing Colours” in February 2011. This year they’ve participated in SXSW, NXNE, Northside Festival, BMI Summer Night Series (LA), and are gearing up for CMJ. They’re also currently working on a new album. You can hear one of their latest tracks on Breakthru Radio.
- The Roomery

The Brooklyn-via-Bogotá, Colombia quintet Il Abanico creates buoyant indie-pop as heard in this downloadable tune, “Solo,” from the band's bilingual debut EP, Crossing Colors.

Vocalist Juliana Ronderos met lead guitarist Nicolas Losada at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. They formed Il Abanico in 2010 and last year, put out Colors -- a sunny first effort reminiscent of fellow Latin American musicians Juana Molina and Natalia Lafourcade. Il Abanico became a quintet recently when bassist Alejandro Baja, drummer Stefan Bildy and guitarist Silvio Vega joined the band's lineup.

Il Abanico hits Rockwood Music Hall Friday night and Pianos on Saturday night. In the video below, watch the band perform the song "Keep Calling.” - WNYC

Brooklyn-via-Colombia duo Il Abanico make an innovative and outstanding brand of post-punk. It’s equal part Twin Sister’s eighties-pop, kraut-backboned Foals dance, and Stereolab-style experimentalism. Last year’s EP Crossing Colours is a fantastic, patchworked texture of global sounds and influences, and made enough waves for them to book their current North American tour and flesh out to a five piece live. You’d be well, well advised to watch out for their next release. - NXNE

Under normal circumstances, a man wearing a teddy bear mask and carrying balloons would be pretty creepy. Yet somehow, SXSW sweethearts Il-Abanico, a Colombian experimental band, makes it work. “Keep Calling” is a soft and mellow single from their first release Crossing Colors. Rolling guitars and fragile vocals make for a song that matches the video’s weird whimsy. - MTV

The Google Spanish to English translation for “abanico” is a fan. In the music culture, Il Abanico is a glistening pop outfit from Bogotá, Colombia. The band consists of Nicolas Losada on a guitar, Julianna Ronderos on a microphone and supporting members on various experimental instruments. Il Abanico is music that shines beautiful rays across the room. One hear of Ronderos’ voice and you can grasp a distinctive allurement to their sweet melodic sounds. This band is currently residing in Brooklyn and playing many regular shows around Williamsburg. If you haven’t checked out their music, get a free download of their Crossing Colors EP on their bandcamp. Il Abanico will also be attending SXSW, so feel free to visit their facebook to stalk them at that love fest - FREEwilliamsburg

It’s one thing to be a singer that can hit the notes, come in where you’re supposed to, but it’s a whole other to be good. I was thinking of this when I saw Björk in early February performing songs from her latest “Biophilia“. The stage was setup so you got a 360 view and from where I stood I saw small screens were set up at the bottoms of the stage where the cut-and-dry lyrics to her songs were displayed. It was far from karaoke though: these were just the words, just in case. For one of the newer tracks I tried following along with Björk, which proved an impossible task because, well, she is a great singer. Intuitively knowing where to drag something out, where to repeat a phrase, how to catch up with the other instruments and performers, where she’s technically “supposed to be”.

Il Abanico‘s Juliana Ronderos is a great singer. In full possession of her voice, she goes from soft to deceivingly strained with ease, and fluctuates like another memorable vocalist, Satomi Matsuzaki of Deerhoof . Ronderos knows how to weave herself in and out of her bands indie rock, where to harmonize with the instrumentals and where to pop out in the foreground.

Il Abanico formed in Boston, Massachusetts by guitarist Nicolás Losada and Ronderos, both originally from Colombia. Now located in Brooklyn, New York, they self-released the “Crossing Colors“ EP in 2010 and, while only 5 tracks, it makes a lasting impression. The opener “Keep Calling” is about all you can ask for in an introductory song to not just an album, but a band you don’t know anything about. “The Light” is another track that builds into a repeating chorus of guitar chatter your limbs willingly succumb to.

I almost wish there were no lyrics sometimes – not for lack of quality, but because what translates to the listener in these songs is not what they are about as much as what they sound like. Words here are important in how they fit phonetically to what Ronderos wants to express with her voice. Again, there is total control of the medium here. Take the Belgian trip-hoppers Hooverphonic, who on their earlier records would put words together that sounded right, regardless of whether it made any grammatical or narrative sense. Il Abanico’s “Solo” is a great example, in that I don’t speak the language, so I don’t know what is being said, but I am hooked.

It’s hard to believe Il Abanico is still unsigned when I see the group posting local dates in New York City on an almost daily basis. Something tells me this won’t be the case for much longer, especially after their SXSW gigs. Listen to highlights from the “Crossing Colors” EP below (you can also download the full thing on Il Abanico’s Bandcamp) and watch the video for “Keep Calling“. - Listen Before You Buy

USA - The Universal Yellow Keys

Mexico - Sociedad Forever

USA - The Dadada

USA - Frost Click

USA - Turntable Kitchen

USA - New England Magazine

Latin America - Club Fonograma

Mexico - Me Hace Ruido

USA - The Hurdy Grudy Blog

Spain - Cucachara Sonica