published on
Biomigrant is the musical project of producer and multi-instrumentalist Michael Alfred Wagner. In 2014, as part of a journey of musical exploration, he crossed Central America en bicycle, arriving to Colombia where he currently lives. As part of the Llorona Records tribute to the gaita flute master Manuel Antonio “Toño” García, Biomigrant put together a compilation of remixes of a piece made with the field recordings of Toño singing. El Buho, Quixosis, Lascivio Bohemia, Joaquín Cornejo, RLHBSLCN, Marcelo Bergés and Steffen Ki present beautiful and different takes of “La Muerte” giving us a broad picture of latin american electronic and world downtempo landscape.
I arrived to the house of the maestro Toño García in San Jacinto in May of 2014. I had just arrived to Colombia, finishing a bicycle journey that began in Guatemala. In Panama a traveling couple told me of Mr. García, and in Bogotá a friend put me in touch so I could visit him. I made it to San Jacinto, an iconic village of the Colombian Caribbean, and I spent various nights camping along the edge of the lake, in the mornings taking classes with Toño. I received my first Gaitas from him, while he showed me songs and told mi stories of his wanderings, struggles, successes, and loves.
Manuel Antonio ‘Toño’ García joined the Gaiteros de San Jacinto after the death of Mañe Mendoza, returning to a legacy that he had left behind for years to dedicate himself to agricultural work. Winner of a Latin Grammy for the album ‘Un Fuego de Sangre Pura’, along with a generation of the group that included his student Fredys Arrieta, el maestro sill lives in his house in San Jacinto where to this day he receives visits from a endless stream of students and lovers of Gaita music, sharing with them his music and wisdom.
There here taught me the song ‘Conmigo Nadie Se Meta’, written by Nando Coba. ‘La Muerte’ is a re-interpretation of that melody, with the voice of Toño and the gaita of Fredys. It was originally published en 2016 as part of ‘Aldea Mundial’, an audiovisual project (album and documentary) released with the chilean label Regional.
I am very grateful for the 7 tremendous artists and friends from Latin America and Europe for their remixes which offer a tribute to a great musician, person, and teacher. We are part of an emerging scene that looks to create a meeting grounds between electronica and traditional folk music, and the least we can do is try to give something back to those who have maintained the essence of rural musics.
All funds generated by this work will be given to Toño Garcia (who recently celebrated his 90th birthday) and his family as assistance that we hope will help to care for his health and upkeep in San Jacinto. Thank you to all who have contributed to this project and especially to Thomas Bosq for setting it all in motion. Michael - Biomigrant
Produced by Michael Alfred Wagner - Biomigrant
Gaitas- Fredys Arrieta
Voice- Toño Garcia
Alegre drum- Loui Peña
Maraca- Owen Chamorro
Mastering - Rob Small
Artwork - Patricia AlSur
credits
released January 24, 2020
Producido por Michael Alfred Wagner - Biomigrant
Gaitas: Fredys Arrieta
Voz: Toño Garcia
Tambor Alegre: Loui Peña
Maracon: Owen Chamorro
Masterizado por: Rob Small
Arte por: Patricia AlSur