Since forming in 2013, Danish quartet Kalaha have carved out a distinctive, genre-defying sound, blending global influences like Brazilian samba, Anatolian rock, African highlife, desert blues and modern electronic music. 

With multiple awards under their belt and a dedicated following among critics and vinyl collectors, the band now unveil their seventh studio album, Guirca, set for release on October 24th via Denmark’s leading outfit for forward-thinking jazz, April Records.

The release follows their 2024 album Nord Havn, a  tribute to the memory of a rapidly gentrifying harbour area of their hometown, conveyed through slick modern production, their trademark global influences, and the energy of a live quartet. 

Fresh from the inspiration of an electrifying cumbia concert – a lively and rhythmic music and dance style originating from Colombia that blends Indigenous, African, and Spanish influences – Kalaha locked themselves in the studio for two intense weeks. Armed with a collection of new percussion and electronic instruments, along with a talkbox, the band delved deep into their creative impulses. This immersive process fueled the vibrant, eclectic energy that pulses throughout their new album, as they fuse cumbia’s infectious grooves with their distinctive collage-esque creative identity.

The title Guirca cleverly fuses two Latin‑American percussion instruments – the güiro and the cuíca – symbolizing the album’s ethos: uniting traditions. Here, Kalaha channels rhythms from cumbia and samba, Gaelic roots music, spaghetti-western motifs and ’70s jazz-rock fusion, all seamlessly blended with their signature electronics.

“Guirca is a true Kalaha album,” the band explains, pointing to their core mission of crossing cultural borders through co‑creative exploration.

With Guirca, they continue their geographically expansive sound, bringing “bastardo inspirations from all parts of the world” into a fresh collective voice. The album reaffirms Kalaha’s signature – danceable, mysterious, boundary‑blurring music that moves the feet, the body, and the mind.

Emil de Waal | Drums, Percussion & Vocals
Nicholas Knudsen | Electric & Acoustic Guitars & Talkbox
Jens “Rumpistol” Berents Christiansen | Synths, Wurlitzer, 303, Percussion & Various Electronic Devices
Anders Stig Moller | Electric Bass, Electric Fretless Bass, Synths, Various Electronic Devices & Vocals
Claudia “Mambe” Rodriguez Ahlfors | Vocals on ’Duele’
Stine Grøn | Vocals on ‘Yacumama’

Content:
1.Yacumama
2.Duele
3.Out in the Woods
4.Give Peace Another Chance
5.Lampuki Bite
6.Guirca
7.El Zorro
8.Vals Ajillo
9.Tumbleweed Turnpike