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The Review - MUSIC - classical & jazz with TONY KIELY
Published: 15 November 2007

‘Jip-jop’: sounds of Spanish street

REVIEW
Ojos de Brujos
Roundhouse

OJOS de Brujos are a Catalonian maelstrom of funked-up breaks, rattling Flamenco guitar licks and searing Spanish rapping and vocals.
The 13-piece band have such a diverse armoury of musicians to call on who are influenced by so many different styles that it seems a shame to categorise this lot as anything other than super-funky dance music.
They call it “jip-jop flamenkillo” – hip hop with a little flamenco – but it is so original, it’s hard to adequately describe.
They played the Roundhouse last year and took it by storm. This year they did exactly the same, running through their repertoire interrupted only by the hilarious translations by rapper DJ Panko who takes it on himself to simplify a five-minute rant by lead vocalist Marina “La Canillas”.
Each of the band steps forward to do a solo, and I was particularly struck by the tabla player Xavi Turull.
He makes his instrument rock out drum and bass.
The crowd were less Latin than they have been at previous London gigs. It seems the band are making headway in expanding their fanbase.
At the climax, when the band do their sing-a-long tune, a Spanish folksong of real beauty which in the past has had hordes of Iberians waving hands in the air and joining in, only a small hardcore knew enough the lingo to harmonise.
DAN CARRIER

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