Swagger is defined as an impressive strut of assured confidence. Uproot Andy and Geko Jones, the purveyors of the monthly Que Bajo?! party, have a strut that happens to the beat of a drum that inspires the beholder’s stride. After an impressive set at No Escape from New York, Uproot Andy left us wanting more, leading us to check out Que Bajo?! at Santos Party House for ourselves. Merging different styles of music, from Colombian Cumbia and Chicha to Peruvian Cumbia over surf guitars, Uproot Andy (aka Andy Gillis) blends these traditional beats with tracks from popular artists like Toy Selectah, Radioclit, Douster, ODB, and Daft Punk, along with international artists like Grupo Kual from Mexico, Los Pibes Chorros from Argentina, and Petrona Martinez from Columbia.
Andy delivered rhythmic infusions to a packed room that shuffled and sashayed to his unique style of mixing. While he threw in familiar songs like Major Lazer’s “Hold The Line,” the night held a series of surprises that kept a fervent audience dancing in excitement to Spanish accents that shook the dance floor of Santos well into the night. Adding injections of dancehall, bullerengue, baile funk, mambo, dubstep and crunk, Andy whipped-up a concoction of delectable beats. On paper, his electronic infusions of sounds may seem incompatible, yet Andy expertly puts them together like the pieces of a puzzle and cuts tracks at their corners to create a mix and match like a magician behind the decks. With a captivating style, Andy’s sound is a colorful breath of fresh air. More importantly, he and Geko Jones catered a great event that put smiles on faces as they came and went, providing a new beat fit for the stride of any swagger, along with their own.
Check out photos from the night by Oliver Correa. If you missed the revelry, check out two tracks from Andy below.
Uproot Andy – “Daft Cumbia”
