CULTURA TRES, the South American steel powerhouse led by SEPULTURA bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr., has joined forces with Latin music icon Juanes on a daring new collaboration, “Cien”, obtainable now by means of ONErpm.
A seismic mix of thrash, grunge, and Colombian folklore, “Cien” evokes the spirit of Nineties steel whereas honoring the wealthy musical traditions of Latin America. The monitor is as sonically heavy as it’s emotionally evocative — rooted in themes of environmental loss, notably the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest.
Not a stunning subject, contemplating these Colombian, Brazilian and Venezuelan musicians, are all from nations with the rainforest of their yard.
“It is a pleasure to share a track with Juanes, not solely a legend of Latin music, but in addition a real heavy steel fan,” says Paulo Xisto.
“Man! It has been a pleasure to make this track with you. Since my teenage years, steel has been part of my essence, and having the chance to file the solo and sing has been superb,” says Juanes.
The collaboration unfolded over six months, starting with CULTURA TRES sending Juanes a batch of punk-infused riffs. When Juanes returned with haunting, psychedelic guitar additions, the track’s power shifted solely — prompting a whole rewrite of the unique materials. This inventive back-and-forth resulted in a monitor that balances darkish melodies with abrasive energy.
CULTURA TRES frontman Alejandro Montoya says: “Juanes is an unimaginable steel guitarist — once we first heard his solo on ‘Cien’, it blew us away.”
Initially drafted in English, the lyrics solely actually resonated when the band adopted Paulo‘s suggestion to modify to Spanish. The change added a deeper sense of authenticity and emotional weight. The contrasting vocal types — Juanes‘s melancholic chants and Alejandro‘s screaming vocals — replicate the track’s central tensions: magnificence versus destruction, custom versus progress.
“Mixing steel and Latin music in certainly one of our native languages (Spanish),helps showcase the facility and potential of South American steel!” says Paulo.
What might shock informal followers is that Juanes — identified worldwide for his Latin pop-rock hits — began his profession in a steel band (EKHYMOSIS, 1988). His admiration for SEPULTURA and deep respect for Paulo‘s legacy created a pure bridge for this collaboration. After certainly one of Juanes‘s exhibits in Amsterdam, Paulo and Alejandro have been invited backstage, the place that they had an opportunity to take a look at Juanes‘s newly launched signature Fender guitar. Mutual admiration, shared roots, and even frequent crew members finally led to exchanging riffs and concepts and “Cien” was born.
“As soon as a metalhead, at all times a metalhead,” says Paulo.
With members from Colombia, Brazil, and Venezuela, CULTURA TRES is a genre-defying steel act identified for mixing sludge, thrash, and conventional South American sounds. Their 2023 album “Camino De Brujos” (Common Music) solidified their popularity throughout Europe, Japan, and Latin America as a very revolutionary power in heavy music.
A worldwide ambassador for Latin music, Juanes has earned 25 Latin Grammys, 4 Grammy Awards and worldwide popularity of his signature fusion of rock, pop and Latin people. Past his music, he’s a devoted activist by means of his Fundación Mi Sangre, championing peace and social justice in Colombia and past.
