Promoting an event which we tell you little about is always a risk, and we'd like to thank all the urbanlife readers (and lucky competition winners) who came to Putumayo Nights at Fasching on friday, Oct 2. Afro/urban culture has many roots and Putumayo has a wonderful range of music that really explores this depth but what would we expect from an evening collaboration with Faunafest?
Faunafest is a highly creative pair who styled Fasching in amazing artwork, statues and visuals. Putumayo's logo, a huge bus with people on a musical journey hung proudly behind the main stage with arms waving (see pictures below). Fasching looked amazing. However, for those expecting a hearty buffet might have felt disappointed by the selection of fruit and bread, where was the chicken and rice?!
As the place began to fill the first band Keifest played an eclectic set of fusion sounds, hard to dance to but enjoyable and an interlude of masked dancers began to make us feel that Faunafest had a larger hand in the event than wehad believed, but then came Extraño Norte and the evening changed.
Although the bass was lacking, as is the case in all Sweden's clubs, the harmonies simply floated from both the men and women, and we suddenly had our groove on. Dance lessons would have paid off here, but you didn't need lessons to enjoy this. This was great Colombian music by a french band in the heart of Stockholm, Sweden. This was also the Putumayo sound we'd been waiting for, and our only disappointment was they hadn't played for the entire night! The crowd demanded an encore, and Extraño Norte happily obliged.
The next Putumayo event is planned in November, and we hope more afro-latin flavours are available... particularly in the buffet!!
Here is a small sample of Extraño Norte in their full band Cumbia Ya!
Music 
An image that belongs in history
Mitt liv som modell och sjuksköters...
