California singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer Chuck Prophet announced today a new collaborative album with Cumbia group ¿Qiensave? called Wake The Dead will release on October 25th through Yep Roc Records. An extraordinary and unlikely pairing, Prophet and ¿Qiensave? blend seamlessly together as the collection dives headfirst into the world of Cumbia music, which consumed and comforted Prophet during a recent bout with stage four lymphoma and subsequent recovery. They also shared the album’s lead single and title track ”Wake The Dead,” an anthem that reckons with forces beyond our control while learning to let go, a recurring theme at the core of the album.
“I never want to be a downer,” stated Prophet. “This record doesn’t shy away from darkness, but it always feels hopeful. When I was growing up listening to The Clash and their flirtations with reggae, the thing I remember most is how the music hit me, how it made me feel. The more you listened, the more was revealed, but on the most fundamental level, those records just felt good, and that was really important to me with this album.”
Prophet’s fascination with Cumbia music began after experiencing a weekly Cumbia night at a local haunt of his in San Francisco’s Mission district. He quickly became obsessed: collecting old vinyl from Latin America, studying its origins, DJ’ing, and loading his friends up with new mixes every time they came to visit. After he was diagnosed, he had a lot of time to just sit and listen as he went through treatments. “I was going through a tunnel,” he recalls. “It was dark. But I had music: music to play, music to listen to, music to get me out of my head. Music was my savior.” More than any other genre, Cumbia served as a faithful musical companion and reprieve during his immunotherapy and chemotherapy.
Track Listing:
01) Wake The Dead
02) Betty’s Song
03) Give The Boy A Kiss
04) First Came The Thunder
05) Sally Was A Cop
06) Red Sky Night
07) Same Old Crime
08) One Lie For Me, One For You
09) Sugar Into Water
10) In The Shadows (for Elon)
11) Good Day To Be Alive
