CARAMELO
By Morton Shlabotnik (5/4/12)
Sara Erde began by rapping with Neneh Cherry and now pairs her urban contemporary vocals with the Andalusian cry of Alfonso Cid in Caramelo. The NYC group brings a jigger of jazz, a touch of klezmer and a heaping serving of flamenco to hot R&B mixes. The bilingual band runs many ingredients into an eclectic blender on slow numbers as well as fast, bringing unusual flavors to the dance floor.
http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/article-18582-caramelo.html
“Spanish American outfit Caramelo combines flamenco with funk. Two of the sexiest music genres in one band... Lethal!”
Time Out NY
CARAMELO: URBAN GYPSY FUNK
By Ginger Pennington (Press Pass LA 5/14/12)
When you hear Caramelo's debut album Ride, which gets released on May 29th, you will begin to suspect that there is a rockin' party going on somewhere and you're missing it.
With each listen to this eclectic gypsy band, you will be treated to a kaleidoscope of pleasant sounds, but you will understand that this is the kind of music that demands to be seen live, especially since some band members are not just musicians, but dancers who flip between flamenco and hip-hop.
One of the most standout tracks is the sexy "Peligroso," the beat of which was surely engineered to inspire you to find a dangerous dance partner of your own. The instruments tell a story that begins with emotive violin, and then bursts into a brutal tango beat provided in part by an accordion. Sara Erde's vocals, which are sometimes poppy, sweet and clean on tracks like the early No Doubt sound of "Brooklyn," become a deep-from-the-gut Spanglish on this song—a “don’t mess with me” sound that could only legitimately come from a Brooklyn girl who spent six years in Sevilla, Spain.
Another treat on this record is the song “The Girl is Gone,” which is provided back-to-back in two very different versions. First, there’s the upbeat, funky version, which sounds a bit like Jenny-from-the-Block-era J.Lo backed by horns, Spanish guitar (played by Jed Miley, another American who spent time in Sevilla), authentic flamenco backing vocals, and, later, a crazy electric guitar solo. The second version has more of a soft jazz influence: proof that the same ingredients used in different quantities can produce an entirely different product.
Overall, Ride is an album that, when described using words, may sound too otherworldly for unadventurous types, but as they say, writing about music is like dancing about architecture. Just one listen tells a different story: Caramelo has a little something for everyone.
Read more about the band at Caramelobeat.com, or if you are in New York, head to Drom on June 2 for the CD release party.
http://presspassla.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=592:caramelo-urban-gypsy-funk&Itemid=67
INCOGNITO PICK OF THE WEEK: CARAMELO
by incognitomusicmagazine (5/27/12)
At Incognito, we are fans of funk whether it’s stuff that reminds you of George Clinton or funky Latin music. The bottom line is that we like funk because it’s a kind of music you can feel below your waist.
Enter Caramelo. This is a band that plays funky, soulful tunes that are heavily influenced by flamenco. If you want a good example of the funk this band brings, check out the song “Brooklyn”. This has some really bright and funky trumpet to go with a strong bass line and a guitar part that is muted just like in ska. By now, you know that Incognito celebrates the unusual in music. Caramelo may not be like anything you have in your collection, but it is definitely worth adding to your collection.
http://incognitomusicmagazine.com/2012/05/27/incognito-pick-of-the-week-caramelo/
CARAMELOPRESS
CARAMELO - RIDE
by Oriana Barbato (Exclaim.ca 5/28/12)
This NYC crew blend their urban style with a bit of R&B, a decent amount of flamenco and a touch of jazz/Latin fusion. Reminiscent of Chambao's chilled flamenco vibe, "Como Quieres" pleases the ear with its diversity of instrumentation and the beautiful timbre of featured vocalist Mireya Ramos. Lucky for us, this varied instrumentation floats throughout the album. "Brooklyn," a fun, light tune, possesses a charming, gypsy-like melodic line... The rest of this album celebrates flamenco and features Seville born singer Alfonso Cid in the jazzy and delicate Alegrías, "La Luna." The sevillanas "The Girl is Gone" concludes Ride, leaving the listeners content and appreciative of multicultural cities like NYC, where musicians can celebrate their diversities by fusing styles and genres.
MONDAY MUSIC: STARTING FROM FLAMENCO
by Mordechai Shinefield (The Forward 6/4/12)
“Ride,” the debut album from New York City-based band Caramelo, has global ambitions worthy of its name. The opening track, “The Girl is Gone,” sets the tone for the rest of the album when Jewish singer Sara Erde trades smooth fly-girl R&B vocals with flamenco artist Alfonso Cid. While Erde’s voice is immediate, alternating rapidly between English and Spanish, Cid’s is bombastic and distant.
The twin voices suggest two different approaches to Latin American music. In Erde’s hands (and vocal chords) flamenco music is a starting point. She quickly shifts between stylized salsa swings and sounds (of course, there are many “ay, ay, ays”) and funky, bending R&B vocals that suggest she’s been studying Janelle Monáe and taking notes. She code-swaps smoothly, rhyming: “Que rico, the sugar in your soul / Despacito, the way you lose control.” Cid’s vocals are more traditional, creating distance linguistically, stylistically and in the mix, where we hear him in echoes and reverberations.
...on an album that lasts less than half an hour there are plenty of wonderful moments, including the aforementioned “Brooklyn.” It’s a slice of urbane New York cosmopolitan pop where Erde sings, raps and advises, “You love the life you live / You live the life you love / Everything you have in mind Jah will give.” With everything else going on, you might miss that these lyrics come from 1980s Jamaican dancehall and reggae artist Half Pint. That’s just the kind of album it is: blink and you’ll miss the fusion pop.
http://blogs.forward.com/the-arty-semite/156725/monday-music-starting-from-flamenco/
EXOTIC MIXES OF SOUNDS FROM AFAR: CARAMELO...
by George W. Harris (Jazz Weekly 7/23/12)
Caramelo describes itself as “Flamenco Funk.” That’s not a bad description at all, with the songs here mixing Spanish and English as if you’re walking down a street in San Juan , Puerto Rico,or what we used to call Spanish Harlem, NY. Sara Erde’s vocals, Jed Miley’s romantic guitar lead a team that also includes, bass, violin, accordion, trumpet, sax and congas, congas, CONGAS! The 7 tunes on this short but sweet release are filled with passion, romance and energy, with Erde’s sultry delivery on “Como Quieres” a knockout. You can feel the sweat on the frets!
FACTS ON WAX
by Bob Morello (Boston Post-Gazette 7/27/12)
Blend the work of a 'nice Jewish girl' from Brooklyn - vocalist Sara Erde and from Seattle's flamenco companies - guitarist Jed Miley - and the result is Caramelo! Erde spent six years in Seville, Spain, learning the art form flamenco. Ironically, Miley's obsession also took him to Seville where he studied guitar. The duo's New York meeting created tracks that melted flamenco and funk. Pick your favorites from their seven-cut CD that includes the fiery dance beat of "The Girl is Gone," moving on to the English and Spanish mix of "Como Quieres," the tasty Caribbean/funk of "Brooklyn" and lower the decibels for Erde's southing vocals on "Nico." That's just the half of it, as Caramelo creates a new mood with the tango-flavored "Peligroso," the pure, yet gritty vocals of flamenco singer Alfonso Cid shine brightly on "La Luna," ending with a 'Sevillanas' version of "The Girl is Gone." There is just so much to like about Caramelo's sound!
“Caramelo is exceptional... They are just unbelievable. This is really major!” Delphine Blue WBAI
“Check it out, Brooklyn!” The borough has a new theme song!” Ivette Feliciano (News 12 Brooklyn)