New Música: Sail Through The Sounds Of Navegante

By Elis T. Ortiz
Photo Credit: Bashira Webb

Para algunos, 8 p.m. may seem a little early to be pulled off your seat and onto the dance floor of a dimly lit NYC club. But when Brooklyn based new age electro-funk band Navegante hit the stage at Le Poisson Rouge on Friday night (August 6), we couldn’t help but get reeled in.

Navegante's Jean at Le Poisson Rouge

Jean’s bilingual vocals and cuatro (which we first discovered at LAMC), coupled with Washington’s percussion and Chris' light performance, all created a magnetic ambiance that wooed the senses and made us want to dance.

We sat down with the guys backstage, antes de navegar con ellos en su presentación, to learn more about the band, their influences, and what drives their music.

Born in the Bronx, to Puerto Rican and Peruvian parents, front man Jean Shepherd was raised in Miami and later Brooklyn. Todas estas influencias son evidentes en la música de Navegante, which finds inspiration in various styles ranging from 70’s salsa, to jazz, hip hop, rock, cumbia, and those heart thumping 808 drums.

He introduced this rhythmic Miami beat to Wash, a Brooklyn native who’s joined him for the past two years in bringing an eclectic and very danceable mix of sounds to the stage.

Navegante's Washington at Le Poisson Rouge

As far as their lyrics, well, Navegante is all about sharing their perspective on the daily human experience in a multi-cultural society. Algunas veces hablan de superar una dificultad, another song might touch on the life of a single mother, what it means to be in love, or even the recent immigration debate that’s happening with SB 1070. But at the core of it all, solo quieren hacernos bailar. “We’re not talking about hoochies,” says Jean, “but there are some songs where we just want people to enjoy themselves, let go, and get involved with the music.”

Navegante focuses on molding a sound that moves their listeners, y como nos cuenta Jean, “when it hits us, like ‘oh, I gotta move to this, I have to,’ we know it’s going to hit people.”

And that’s exactly what they aim for; viajar por el mundo trayendoles esta música alternativa.

Navegante at Le Poisson Rouge

For now, if you’re in the NYC area, you can usually find them at Camaradas El Barrio in Spanish Harlem, the cozy setting where they’ve cultivated a grassroots following. They bring a little something for everyone, con su primer disco totalmente en Español, as well as their latest tracks for their English language EP. Pueden descargar estas nuevas canciones gratis on Navegante’s website, leading up to their second full-length album.

That’s right kids, free downloads! Overall, Navegante succeeds in engaging their audience in a unique musical experience, so if you haven’t checked them out yet, get on board!