It’s been three long years since Mexico’s kitschiest duo, Afrodita, gave us news of a new album. The duo, comprised of Imma Miralda and Karin Burnett, is the kind of act that blurs the lines between guilty pleasure and artistic pedigree. Their debut record, La Reina del Palenke (Discos Tormento, 2008), did a splendid job in presenting their futuristic synthesized cumbia, their histrionic aesthetics and devotion towards iconic figures like La Virgen de Guadalupe and Tego Calderon. Afrodita is putting the final touches on a double album that will see the commercial light in a few months.
Like most of Afrodita’s songs, leading single “La Cumbia de los Guerreros” is highly stylized as a chant for Mother Earth, one that’s needless of any rules or restrictions. Afrodita starts by acknowledging their mestizaje and then take a visit to El Planeta de las Lizardas. Luis Morales’ directing evokes an array of sources that go from pre-colonial Mexico, to Santo vs. La Invacion de los Marcianos and George Lucas. According to Morales, this is “the first part of a trilogy that tells the never-ending story of the clash between good and evil.” For a nation whose latest viral videos include Los Alguiens’ “El Internet” and Galatzia’s “Tachas y Perico,” Afrodita’s chances towards new media impact are certain.