SANTERIAS - Toronto Latin ensemble fires up Flamenco Fusion! New release Demonios will have audiences speaking in tongues - Admission $10 / $20 with CD CD Release event Saturday May 31, 2008 at Revival (783 College Street at Shaw) Featuring a Flamenco dance work from Carmen Romero - www.carmenromero.ca with guitarist Juan Dino Toledo and special guest DJ eLman (Dos Mundos / CIUT) - www.myspace.com/dosmundos and solo looped percussion with hip-hop beatboxing by Beny Esguerra - www.newtraditionmusic.com For more information call Santerias at 416-822-5885 or Revival at 416-535-7888 or visit www.santerias.ca

Like the religion of Santeria their propulsive music is a mystical blend of old and new world influences - tribal rhythms expressing themselves in the gospels of popular song. Flamenco guitar runs along with electric bass while congas, cajon and timbales transport the rhythm to Afro-Latin locales. Sultry vocals breathe out Bossa Nova tales that teasingly take each song to a mysterious musical place occupied exclusively by Santerias.

This Toronto foursome brings the influences of their diverse backgrounds (Chilean, Colombian, Canadian) to the forefront of their sound in a way that has them often compared to Spain's Ojos de Brujo. Some songs bring in Middle Eastern and South Asian rhythms while some embrace a Brazilian Tropicália sensibility. Band members include: Oriana Barbato (bass); Jay Guerriere (percussion, vocals); Juan Dino Toledo (guitar, vocals) and Rubi (lead vocals, percussion). Some live concerts also include Flamenco dancers.

About to release their new full-length album Demonios, Santerias are set to expand the success resulting from their debut 2004 release Bosketches. This includes dozens of concerts at major Toronto festivals (including a repeat performance at this year's Pride parade) and widespread acclaim from media like CBC Radio and Telelatino. They have also created videos with TMN (The Movie Network) and Bravo.

Two years in the making, Demonios is the culmination of intense collaboration amongst the four members. Their sophisticated blend of traditional and contemporary Latin styles traverse terrains of Spanish Flamenco, Brazilian Bossanova and Tropicália, Colombian Cumbia and Classic Rock. Songs in Spanish, Portugusee and English engage in social commentary and personal reflection alongside the spontaneity of exploring solid drumlines and thick basslines! While worldly in scope, all eleven songs on Santeria's Demonios (MAPL, SOCAN) were written, recorded and produced in Toronto at Jay Guerriere's Latin Lounge Studio.

In addition to their collective success, three members have also collaborated on the Drum and Bass Soul project SolAzul; whose 2005 debut had two songs (Encanto and Heaven) receive international airplay and worldwide acclaim by DJs and critics. Bassist Oriana Barbato has recently returned from living in London, UK and a Spring multicity tour of Holland and Germany with UK Indie Pop group The Candy Twins.

For more information on the group - and to hear their songs along with band photos
and video - please visit www.santerias.ca and www.myspace.com/santerias
To contact the group:
Juan Dino Toledo
Ph: 905-507-9121 or dino@santerias.ca