I never bought into “post-racial” as an idea. What we are still goes a long way to explain who we are, regardless of what the politically-correct try to hammer down our collective ear.
Boogat is a prime example of how one is forged in this brave new world: a Quebec City native of Mexican-Paraguayan descent, who came of age in a multicultural space and brought all these different reference points together to define his actual self. It’s with this heritage in mind that he approaches El Dorado Sunset, an exploration of what it means to be Latino in French North America, offering the listener a global perspective without having to leave the comforts of home.
Subtitled El Gran Baile De Las Identidades (The Great Identity Ball), his mission statement is pretty clear: whether out in the great yonder or at the heart of the dancefloor, the only way to ever find yourself is by taking decisive action. Swapping the French language in favor of his mother tongue does wonders to expand his horizons, as he adapts for an international audience by applying his easygoing raps to a mix of Electronic and World beats, from Cumbia samples to Dembow riddims. His scope is wide enough to include an ode to Montreal’s most infamous Portuguese rotisserie (the cheeky Romados), socio-political commentary (Súper Gringo) and the paradox of being one-of-a-kind making us all the same (the Lido Pimienta-assisted Único). I chose to highlight Eres Hecha Para Mí because, as the saying goes, the first cut is always the deepest and it precisely sets the tone for the rest of his album. If true genius is taking a complex issue and making it awesomely simple, then Boogat has found the common denominator that makes us go on our personal treasure hunts, all in search of that golden place under the sun.
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