Friday Ocotber 3rd was a big day for fans of Lapéluda and indie-folk-latin aficionados alike. Colombian-québécoise up-and-coming artist Lapéluda delivered a beautiful concert in the Salle Bourgie, celebrating her new EP : “entre cielo y tierra.” Blending her sweet and lilting voice to that of her co-singer, Paula Sofia’s deeper and richer voice, a beautiful harmony enchanted the crowd. The rest of the band, composed of guitarists, a drummer and a terrific percussionist made the music come alive, transporting us to remote islands.
You can tell that that was Lapéluda’s first concert in a big hall, an imposing one at that. Yet she handled this impressive feat with charm and grace, gathering the scattered crowd around her like the loved ones that came to support her. She could use some more stage presence tips, like singing and speaking into the microphone more, as it was difficult to hear her presentation of the songs which were integral to understanding the pieces, but this critique is nothing Lapéluda can’t fix. Her talent is undeniable there, with a raw and soft angelic like voice, and whose music reaches a crowd as diverse as the chord progressions. She also has a knack for making people feel at home, and making her concert all the more enjoyable all the while turning the venue into a dance hall.
Lapéluda, or the hairy one as is translated in English, is filled with love, happiness and charisma. This is exemplified through her smiling whilst singing and playing the guitar, and music which tends to be more dreamy, blended with melodic dissonance. Some songs are almost calm and tender lullabys, such as “… yo más”, whereas others like “amigas de nuevo” delve deep into that feeling of nostalgia that Lapéluda so delicately captures. My personal favourite is the first track on the album : “último día”, which can be described as a meditative ballad grounded in a rain forest, but for a better description I highly recommend going on her website and listening to different tracks which each offer a different feeling.
Although the combination of Lapéluda’s sweet voice with the powerful instruments felt a bit overwhelming at times, the different songs produced an overall unique sound that was truly inspired and inspiring. I am excited to see where she is headed and know her future will be as bright as her smile when she serenades us.
To listen to Lapéluda’s new EP or to find any of her old discography, visit the link below to her website https://lapeluda.bandcamp.com/album/entre-cielo-y-tierra-3
