Empanadas Ilegales

***Empanadas Ilegales, Vancouver’s electrifying psychedelic cumbia and salsa ensemble, have been captivating audiences with their infectious rhythms and high energy performances since 2017. Formed from late-night jam sessions among friends with roots in Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina, and Canada, the band quickly became a force in Latin American dance music, blending cumbia rhythms, guitar riffs, salsa-influenced brass, and elements of surf rock, free jazz, and West Coast psychedelia.

Their new album Sancocho Trifásico, reflects the same festive spirit of improvisation that fueled their early days. Named after the traditional Latin American stew, the record is seasoned with experimental synth textures, slinky dub grooves, and pulsing percussion. It’s a tribute to cumbia’s past and future, fueling dance and celebration with every note. The songs are inspired by cultural preservation, folklore, traditional music, and diasporic connections.

The album was recorded at three different studios between 2023 and 2024. After exploring analog techniques at Vancouver’s SAE Studios, the band moved to percussionist Daniel Ruiz’s studio, which enabled them to colour the sound with various woodwind, percussion, electronic, and string integrations in a free-flowing environment. The recording journey wrapped with engineer John Raham at legendary Vancouver studio Afterlife.