Acid Coco is the first recorded collaboration of Paulo and Andrea. Paulo has been known in Europe’s electronic dance scene for years and continues to develop new projects, such as El Dragón Criollo, La Jungla, and Contento. He has released music on labels such as Diynamic Music in Germany, Goldmin Music in France, and Galaktika Records in Spain. In recent years, he has collaborated with fellow Colombian ex-pats Banana Sound Cartel, and played in Los Transatlanticos, as did Andrea.
Andrea has performed and recorded with Colombian reggae band DonKey Records before moving to Miami and then Berlin where she continued to sing in world fusion band Hinsetzen Pause.
“This musical project was born back in 2016 during a hot summer day in Geneva. Andrea had flown into town to visit me, and it was not until three days before her departure that we started experimenting with music. During that time, we composed 14 songs that in due time matured into something unique. We would constantly ask ourselves what would be the name of our new band, but we were not sure what and if it was going to happen! It was not until 2019, when Andrea returned to Geneva, that we hopped back in the studio. In those three years, many things happened, which ended up helping us have some clarity on what we wanted, including our name.” Paulo explained.
The birth of the name came about through various factors. Both Paulo and Andrea explained that ‘coco’, which mainly means coconut in Spanish, has more than one meaning. “[Coco can also be] the embodiment of the tropics, the head of someone, the monster that scares little kids… it is everything that music has the potential of being,” they clarify. “I started looking for a word that went well with ‘Coco’ and Spanglish came over me! I started thinking and seeing colours when thinking of the word ‘acid’; it is a very colourful word that perfectly embodies who we are, who Colombia is. Andrea also loved the combination of the two words, so it was only natural that it would become our name.”
Each song is an undeniable aspect of Colombian everyday life: a teenage romance set to a champeta rhythm, songs about tongue-in-cheek Discoteca lovers, break-ups, family get-togethers filled with the beat of the drums, and so much more. Their South American heritage and culture are strong as ever in these two musical prodigies, not only in the beats and rhythms used in the fruit of their labour but also in how they work together; how they seek a feeling of togetherness through their musical community.
“As a Colombian, I had always been open to establishing collaborations with artists here in Europe. The only issue had been that the way Latin American artists -specifically, Colombian musicians- come together is very different from how European musicians collaborate as the musical ambience itself is individualistic. When [Colombians] work together, it is a party!” Paulo added while Andrea agreed with a cheerful laugh.
The coming together of these two musical titans gave birth to the unforgettable single ‘Yo Bailo Sola’, which was released in July 2020. On "Yo Bailo Sola" there is no mistaking the cumbia beat, but Acid Coco break with the dogma of tradition , the song's female protagonist telling her would-be dance partner to leave her be, she wants to dance this cumbia alone.
“Originally, the Cumbia is a dance that took place between the indigenous people and the African slaves. It was meant to be danced alone, not like one sees nowadays where people dance in pairs; this dance is meant to be expressed with minimal physical contact as it is a dance of courtship,” Paulo comments.
He adds: “In modern days, men seem to have gained a false sense of entitlement over women. ‘Yo Bailo Sola’ reflects what has been part of women’s lives for far too long. Men in Colombia are only really now getting the idea of Feminism so finally women are able to count on a new generation of men who are also advocating for their rights.”
Andrea adds, “I think men need to start giving women the recognition they deserve instead of making them feel like they are always coming in second. It is time for equality while acknowledging that both sexes are completely different and diverse. We both have positive characteristics, and we have different, admirable things to bring to the table; the rights must be equal. This too is the case with women in the music industry. Some think that if the artist is not sexy, her music will not sell or if she is not attractive, her art will not sell. It is something that also needs to change within the sphere of female empowerment.”
‘Yo Bailo Sola’ is not the only song by Acid Coco addressing this issue, as they have explored different genres while exploring this concept. Do not miss out on Acid Coco’s debut album Mucho Gusto to be released in October this year!
