Sonámbulo Psicotropical translates to “Psycho Tropical Sleepwalker.” The psycho tropical came through loud and clear, but there’s nothing sleepy about this wild 11-piece Latin carnival show. A full horn section, drums, congas, timbales, maracas, and shekeres created a wall of sonido as the Costa Rican-based crew led a swirling gypsy-funk caravan through their home countries of Costa Rica, Cuba, Colombia, and El Salvador. Flags from all those countries plus Ecuador, Argentina, and Mexico dotted the front of the so-called gospel tent, with the heavily Latino crowd grooving to an infectious brujería of cumbia, reggae, punk, and Afrobeat. No band had more fun onstage Saturday than Sonámbulo, but even their joy was outshined by the mob of their Imperial-swilling countrymen at the front of the stage, who, for a brief moment, made the Zilker stage sound like San Jose’s National Stadium: Olé, Olé, Olé, Olé, Ticos, Ticos! Like Sonámbulo Psicotropical’s debut album, it was A Puro Peluche.
This article appears in October 19 • 2012.
