Domino Effect
posted in: Artist Features • Music News • Pop
Talk to the Mano: Domino Saints
If Domino Saints prove anything, it’s that a lot of sound can come from just a few people. The duo, comprised of singer Giselle Ojeda and percussionist David Leal, infuse their dance music with contemporary trends and vintage textures that span several cultures. Nothing is off limits in this melting pot. Expect anything from time-honored Latin traditions like bomba and plena to island music like reggae and dancehall, old school funk and soul and new school reggaeton.
Domino Saints’ Puerto Rican heritage is never more apparent than in their single, Buenos Dias San Juan, which won a Billboard World Songwriting Contest award and was featured as an iTunes single of the week. The song opens with guitars that nod to Isaac Hayes’ Shaft and a burping horn section that leads into a raw bomba groove. Sung in Spanish, the lyrics may be obscured to Gringos, but the message comes through loud and clear”standing still is not an option. On the subversive, darker funk track Machiavelic, Ojeda sings, I’ve got a plan to take over the world / I’m gonna do it with music. Let’s hope Domino Saints follow though on the threat.
