Divino Niño is an American-Colombian rock band based in Chicago, Illinois, formed in 2013. The band consists of Camilo Medina (vocals, guitar), Javier Forero (vocals, bass ), Guillermo Rodriguez-Torres (guitar, vocals), and Pierce Codina (drums, percussion). Their music has been characterized as surreal, psychedelic, dream-pop and part of the growing Latino music scene.[1]
Divino Niño | |
|---|---|
 Divino Niño in 2019 | |
| Background information | |
| Genres | Dream-Pop |
| Years active | 2013-present |
| Labels | Winspear |
| Members | Camilo Medina
Javier Forero Guillermo Rodriguez-Torres Pierce Codina Justin Vittori (JV) |
| Website | divinoninoband |
History edit
Medina and Forero were childhood friends in Bogotá, Colombia.[2] After both their families moved to Miami, the two reconnected during middle school and began performing together at a local church. The two made their way to Chicago for college where they discovered The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Lovin' Spoonful—popular rock bands of the '60s and '70s. After meeting Guillermo Rodriguez-Torres and Pierce Codina, Divino Niño was officially formed in 2013.[3] In 2020, Justin Vittori (JV) joined the group after being on the road with the band for all of 2019.[4]
Musical style edit
The group is characterized by their bi-lingual lyrics and often genre-bending songs that pay homage to the '60s an '70s.[5] Pitchfork describes their work as a "squiggly, retro-futurist approach [that] borrows freely but selectively from among a vast pop-rock songbook, the psychedelic explorations of the past, and more recent internet subgenres."[6]
WBEZ said of their debut album Foam "Their sound brings to mind both sun-drenched beaches and frigid urban alleyways. That musical mix makes perfect sense when you understand the band’s journey from Bogota, Colombia to Miami to Chicago."[7]
During the pandemic of 2020 the band stopped meeting in person for long stretches of time and began exploring sampling and beat making. The writing of Last Spa on Earth became a major departure from their acoustic sound exploring Reggaeton sub-genres, J-Dilla like beats, house, and drum & bass.[8]
Albums and Discography edit
After two mix tapes, Pool Jealousy and The Shady Sexyfornia Tapes, the group released their debut album Foam on Winspear Records on June 21, 2019.[9] Their full-length debut received a 7.5 from Pitchfork saying that "Their squiggly, retro-futurist approach borrows freely but selectively from among a vast pop-rock songbook, the psychedelic explorations of the past, and more recent internet subgenres. This is a collection of sweet, brightly colored love songs from the mind of an acid enthusiast, woven from a small used record store’s worth of influences."[10]
| Album | Year | Released via |
|---|---|---|
| Last Spa on Earth | 2022 | Winspear |
| Drive (single) | 2021 | Winspear |
| Made up my Mind (single) | 2020 | Winspear |
| Foam | 2019 | Winspear |
| The Shady Sexyfornia Tapes | 2016 | Native Sound |
| Pool Jealousy | 2014 | Native Sound |
References edit
- ^ Cepeda, Eduardo (2019-06-18). "Stream Divino Niño's 'Foam,' a Surreal Album of Psychedelia and 70s Pop". Vice. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
- ^ "Divino Niño Uses Old Friendships And Retro Sounds To Create 'A Little Vacation'". NPR.org. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
- ^ Kelly, Sam (2019-06-18). "On 'Foam', Divino Niño appreciate the finer things". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
- ^ "Divino Niño Explore the Darker Side of Love on 'Made Up My Mind'". Remezcla. 2020-08-25. Retrieved 2020-11-04.
- ^ Julious, xxx, Britt (16 August 2017). "The warm, familiar sound of Divino Nino". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-01-03.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Divino Niño: Foam". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
- ^ Moreno, Nereida. "How Rockers Divino Niño Found Their Voice In Chicago". WBEZ. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
- ^ Lopez, Julyssa (2022-08-15). "Divino Niño Rebel Against the Church on Sparkling Reggaeton-Fused Track 'XO'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
- ^ "Divino Niño - Foam". Bandcamp.
- ^ "Foam - Divino Niño". Pitchfork. Retrieved 3 November 2020.