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RICARDO LEMVO & Makina Loca

Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca

Ricardo Lemvo has established himself as a pioneer with his innovative music. Lemvo's blend of Afro-Cuban rhythms with pan-African styles (soukous, Angolan semba and kizomba) has been described by the Los Angeles Times as "seamless and infectious."

This Congo-born artist of Angolan ancestry is the embodiment of the Afro-Latin Diaspora which connects back to Mother Africa via the Cuban clave rhythm. Lemvo is truly multi-cultural and equally at home singing in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Lingala, and Kikongo.

Since forming his Los Angeles-based band Makina Loca in 1990, Lemvo has refined his craft and vision, raising his joyous voice with strength, singing songs that celebrate life, and most importantly, inspiring his audiences to let loose and dance away their worries.

Through the years, Lemvo has performed countless shows in many festivals, night clubs, and Performing Art Centers throughout Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Australia. Giving him the ultimate form of respect, his songs have been performed and recorded by such artists as Colombia's Joe Arroyo, Orquesta Revé from Cuba, and the Russian band, Tres Muchachos.

Lemvo's five CDs, Tata Masamba, Mambo Yo Yo*, São Salvador*, Ay Valeria! and Isabela have been enthusiastically acclaimed by both print and broadcast media worldwide. The Beat Magazine named Tata Masamba the CD of the year for 1996. The Miami Herald called Mambo Yo Yo "a treasure trove." São Salvador reached # 2 on the European World Music chart for May 2000. The New York Post described Ay Valeria! as "celestial, highly idiosyncratic," and the New York Times proclaimed Isabela, a "most notable" World Music CD of 2007.

Time Out New York:
"Whether they're kicking out Cuban jams or taking afro-pop to the bridge, Lemvo and company will make you sweat."

The Chicago Tribune:
"Lemvo's passion for the roots of Afro-Cuba comes through in his singing. His voice is vibrant and melodious... he is one of the few artists in tropical music today who is moving the genre forward."

The Los Angeles Times:
"Lemvo and his band, Makina Loca, manage a blend of Cuban and Central African traditions that is seamless and organic - and infectious."

Folk Roots Magazine/ England:
"Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca's music is a celebration aimed squarely at the dance floor."

Liberation/ France:
"Une bouffee d'air frais a la salsa et le soukous."