Q&A: A Musical Recipe of Electronic, Tradition, and Latin Flare with Sinego
ON A MISSION TO DELIVER CULTURAL EDUCATION AND AUTHENTICITY — to the world of electronic music, the Columbian multi-hyphenate Sinego continues to create and break new boundaries. His mission to spotlight underrepresented Latin American cultures in the mainstream, as well as his impressive use of live instruments (including cymbals, trumpets, timbales, etc.), have led him to work with renowned artists such as SOFI TUKKER, the Knocks, and Nervo. A multi-instrumentalist, talented producer, and charismatic DJ, Sinego creates music through his passion to learn, educate, and foster inclusivity.
His latest project, Alterego, is an artistically dynamic two-part album full of cultural richness and flare. Feeling inspired by Anthony Bourdain’s ability to learn and share global cultures and traditions through food, Sinego manages to do the same thing with his music. The first installment of Alterego, also referred to as El Dia, is a dreamy and insightful masterpiece laced with the traditions, voices, and authentic sounds of the various Latin American countries in which Sinego traveled to specifically for the project. The second installment, titled La Noche, is a deluxe album set to release in 2024.
Read our interview with Sinego below.
LUNA: How would you describe your sound?
SINEGO: Electronic- and house-inspired on the bass and drums, and the organics and textures in the highs, melodies, and harmonies. It’s a contrast between the European world of electronic music with the organic world of Latin America.
LUNA: What was the inspiration for Alterego?
SINEGO: My main inspiration was Anthony Bourdain. Since I was little, I was always inspired by the honesty with which he approached traveling and knowing new cultures. It was about learning new perspectives through food. In my case, I wanted to understand these cultures through sound. I immersed myself in the traditional genres of each of the countries I visited in Alterego to mix their roots into electronic music.
LUNA: What are some of the similarities and differences between El Dia and La Noche? How do the two parts of the album tie together?
SINEGO: El Dia and La Noche are both infused with many organic elements from traditional cultures of Latin America. From Tango to Cumbia and from Mambo to Boleros. The difference lies in the feeling they each give you. El Dia is an album to dream and listen carefully, while La Noche is more of a catharsis and dancefloor-focused project.
LUNA: Part of what makes Alterego so unique is that it highlights multiple underrepresented Latin American cultures. Why is this representation important to you?
SINEGO: Music in Latin America is currently represented worldwide through a very basic and toxic stereotype. If you close your eyes and think about Latin America, you’ll probably imagine the image of a Reggaeton star in front of lux cars and a club. This definitely doesn't showcase the richness and true cultures of the region. Breaking this stereotype is important to me.
LUNA: Can you tell us about the creative process of this album?
SINEGO: It all started by gathering the right musicians and collaborators in each country. After curating the ones that felt right, I created a long sample pack for my own use. It was a huge project file full of guitars, pianos, and vocals that I recorded and used the traditional genre I was looking for. Then I went into the studio and started playing with house/techno bases, mixing them with this sample pack.
LUNA: Were there any highlights and challenges of creating El Dia? If so, what were they?
SINEGO: Most electronic music in Latin America jumps between 60–100 bpm. Because house and techno are between 120–130 bpm, it was kind of difficult to warp all sounds and make them work in a faster phase.
LUNA: What is the biggest message you want to portray to fans through this album?
SINGEO: As is the culture I'm trying to represent, electronic music can be full of contrast … It can give you different emotions. It can be dark and moody, but also nostalgic and hopeful.
