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.
Every musician—Jay-Z and Ryan Adams included—comes down with writer’s block at some point in his or her career. Just like swine flu, there’s very little you can do to prevent it. Then again, like swine flu, a full recovery can be made with a little help.
Before the days of listening to an album in the record store or online, music shopping was more of a gamble. And, believe it or not, a lot of bets were placed solely on album art. I remember trading a Tiffany cassette for Poison’s Look What The Cat Dragged In because I thought the girls on the cover had better hair and makeup. Thus began the seminal hair metal phase of my adolescence (Do not judge me).
