Combo Lulo moves side to side from effortless Jamaican foundation rhythms into the further reaches of Caribbean influence…incorporating a natural transition between Jamaican classics and the essence of Afro-Latin ritmo and finding a common thread between styles like Cumbia, Rocksteady, Dub, Ethiojazz and Afrobeat.
Originally conceived as only a recording project, Combo Lulo was first convened to record a handful of songs for the Brooklyn based label Names You Can Trust (NYCT). A veritable who's who of the NYC music scene, Combo Lulo’s members are veteran musicians with deep and nuanced understanding of the styles and traditions being referenced, with the results speaking for themselves.
Combo Lulo's first single, a Cumbia/Reggae hybrid released quietly in May 2018, sold out in just a few months, based mostly on word of mouth. The song "Canto Del Sol", the B side of that single, went on to be used by NPR's Marketplace show in March of the following year. A second single, “The Sieve & The Sand,” was released in early 2019, stretching the group’s influences further east into the territory of Addis Ababa, while still maintaining a spacey, Roots Radics type groove.
June of 2019 saw Combo Lulo teaming up with Panamanian soul crooner Ralph Weeks, recasting his cult classic slow jam “Algo Muy Profundo / Something Deep Inside” from 1969 as a Rocksteady ballad. It was a perfect pairing for the 50th anniversary of the song, put together by (NYCT), connecting the dots of Afro-Caribbean influence to making something new of a timeless classic. The single too quickly sold out and has been a staple of DJ sets from Paris to Mexico City to Los Angeles ever since.
Now an in-demand live act in NYC, Combo Lulo’s core consists of current and former members of groups like Antibalas, the Easy Star Allstars, the Skatalites, Charles Bradley & the extraordinaires and the Far East, among others. Now in 2021 Combo Lulo finally brings forth their debut album, Neotropic dream, as a continuation of their visionary blend of styles via the Names You Can Trust label.