I recently stumbled across the Meridian Brothers in a suggested Spotify playlist, and immediately became enamored with their sound. The band, formed in 1998, is a futuristic, latin funk band, blending in the familiar sounds of salsa, storytelling, psychedelics and experimental Latin genres.

Their most recent album Meridian Brothers and El Grupo Renacimiento, which was released in August of 2022, is a testament to their commitment to diversifying music through history. The album is presented as a collaboration with El Grupo Renacimiento. Like many who enjoyed the sound of The Meridian Brothers, I decided to search for El Grupo Renacimiento to see who they were. To my surprise, no such group ever existed. Not a single recording or feature of the band could be found.

Who was El Grupo Renacimiento, and how could the Meridian Brothers have collaborated with them?

I initially thought that the group had possibly existed, but were not allowed to play their music because of historically controlling governments. This phenomenon of resurfaced music from the past is commonly seen in countries that once were led by dictators, so to me this seemed the most likely answer. My critical cross analysis was, unfortunately, very wrong.

In a recent interview with NPR, Elbis Alvarez - member of the Meridian Brothers, discussed the collaboration with the imaginary band. Admitting that although the band appears to not exist, its folklore tale lives as a legend in his mind. Further discussing how creating such a story allows his artistry to go further through an association to something real.

The band, the imaginary El Grupo Renacimiento, had begun in a small town in the north of Colombia. As they traveled to Bogotá, their fame and fortune continued to grow, leading them to relish in the pleasures of life. Eventually, the band disappeared and people had no idea where they had gone. Creating the tale of the imaginary band, in this imaginary story.

The reality (within this made up story) is that they had not disappeared - their greed for luxury and pleasure forced the band to rethink their lives, leading them to an incredible revelation that brought about change, and overall brought them closer to God. The band spent the rest of their days working in a monastery and performing only within the church. Regardless of their apparent disappearance, their songs continued to live throughout the streets of Colombia.

The Meridian Brothers were inspired by the imagined folklore tale, creating an album with the forgotten band. Although there is no actual collaboration that takes place, the album tells the story of rebirth. The album, which is similar to a novel, emulates the type of salsa produced under previous precarious conditions, telling stories of politics, culture and much needed change under the guise of a catchy tune.
The album brings forward traditional sounds of Colombian salsa with a blend of musical trends from the Caribbean coast. The Meridian Brothers blend tradition with modernity in a salsa-funk album in this created collaboration. Through inventing the tale, the band has allowed themselves to travel back in time and replicate the story telling of the past.