Biography

Flätrate - new Culcha Candela Album! Photo: Katja Kuhl

Culcha Candela - Flätrate

Culcha Candela are Don Cali, Itchy, DJ Chino, Reedoo, Larsito and Johnny Strange (photo left to right). The Berlin-based band have over the years established themselves as a vivid part of the pop-culture of Germany, Austria and Switzerland and with a lot of passion and love they are churning out the hits. In addition, they are involved in national and international charity projects and organisations including Africa Rise, Action Kidz and the United Nations Millennium Campaign. As far as the band are concerned, hit records and attitude go hand in hand like Culcha Candela and live shows. Since they started out, Culcha Candela have played over 600 shows in Germany and Europe. In 2010, the German cultural institution Goethe-Institut even brought them to Central America for three weeks. On 25th of November 2011 the band’s fifth studio album FLÄTRATE was released. An extensive tour through Germany, Austria and Switzerland will kick off in early 2012.

Even before their first No. 1 hit “Hamma!” in 2007, Culcha Candela’s first two albums “Union Verdadera” and “Next Generation” showed beyond any doubt that there would be no stopping this band! Their live shows inspired music fans of all ages. With cultural backgrounds as diverse as those of Culcha Candela, the band were a type of mini-UNO with their own public integration mandate, but always enjoying the music for what it was and simply having fun. What they needed was a hit song to open the door to a new and broader audience. And the german Song “Hamma!” was a hit of monstrous proportions!

 It was uphill all the way from there. Over 2.2 million records sold, one gold and two platinum albums in the last five years, and one platinum and three gold singles. There is at least one of their songs in the top 100 airplay-charts at any one time, usually more. In terms of continuity and consistency, this is one of the most outstanding success stories the German music scene has witnessed in recent years.

It is the diversity of the characters in the band that has turned the “System Culcha Candela” into this hugely successful project in the 10 years since its inception. Six Berliners with various cultural roots, each one of them in their own way indispensable for the functioning of the band:

Itchy, band-powerhouse and always marching ahead
Larsito, calm and laid-back, the smooth-operator and hookline-master
Mr. Reedoo, the band’s thoughtful head
Johnny Strange, likeable and chaotic soulbrother
Don Cali, a real down-to-earth guy
DJ Chino behind the turntables, smart and charismatic

Another priceless asset in the Culcha Candela universe is WIR, the team of producers that is chiefly responsible for creating that cutting-edge sound, that is danceable and full of energy and which they have nailed once again on FLÄTRATE. A long-held Culcha Candela tradition is to bring in guest producers. This album features among others Martelli, BeatGees, Paul NZA and Crada. Combined with their characteristic style and unique line-up consisting of six singers / frontmen, Culcha Candela have invented a brand new genre.

If you want to try and get your head around the phenomenon Culcha Candela you could buy a ticket and go to see one of their legendary live performances. Without a shadow of doubt, Culcha Candela are a live-phenomenon! The link between the band’s solid tour programme and their ability to knock out hit after hit after hit is blatantly obvious. Wherever these boys turn up they set the stage on fire and the hot flame of culture begins to burn among the audience!

The fifth studio album FLÄTRATE is a German-language pop record which positively blows you away. With a subtly ironic take on the band’s commercial side, FLÄTRATE oscillates between massive steam hammer disco type tracks and tender soul tunes that are well worth a closer listen. FLÄTRATE has a grown-up and confident sound to it but still preserves a sense of good innocent fun like a perfect children’s birthday party. It is completely in your face but never takes the most direct route to reach its goal.

Culcha Candela’s success relies partly on the huge cultural diversity of the band’s members and on the creative process as it has shaped out over the years. That is how solid top 10-tunes like “Hungry Eyes”, “Am Start” and “Dieses Gefühl” sit happily alongside thoughtful and emotional songs such as “Morgen Fliegen” and “Big Fat Smile”. Like any truly great band, Culcha Candela have developed into something that defies comparison: A unique band, a characteristic sound and their very own genre. Special features: fun, hit songs and teamwork.

With their new album FLÄTRATE, Culcha Candela have arrived in a league of their own.