Christopher Sluka is often identified for his severe, extremely technical, expertly composed orchestral work with a touch of synth, however his latest effort is something however severe. Except you’re from Mexico or the American Southwest, that’s. These of us residing wherever from Colorado to Baja California know simply how vital tamales are year-round, to not point out Christmas. Now, “Christmas Tamales” is the anthem to the corn-based parcels we all the time wanted for the season, due to Sluka and his band, the aptly named SLUKA.
The lore of the tamale is huge and assorted, its origins courting again millennia to Mesoamerican cultures however their present kind, which impressed Sluka’s rousing Christmas ode, are nonetheless very a lot a staple wherever one may discover a big Hispanic tradition. Made from a corn masa base and wrapped often in corn husks (in Southern Mexican and Central American areas, banana leaves are additionally a attainable selection), they differ when it comes to their taste and filling. Conventional savory selections are often rooster or pork with some type of mole (sauce), however there are veggie inexperienced chile varieties in addition to a great deal of candy choices with white corn and stuffed with raisins, pineapples of mangoes.
In Southern California the place Sluka doubtless found the normal pocket meals, tamales can be found all yr lengthy at eating places, taco vans and even at many locations of enterprise, the place industrious residence cooks will promote them to hungry employees. These do-it-yourself, recent tamales are thought of the perfect ones amongst SoCal residents within the know; till Christmas, after all, when a great deal of abuelas from all totally different areas and can all totally different recipes get out their massive pots and begin to make them for household and associates. The Christmas tamale-giving season often begins proper after Thanksgiving (with scrumptious turkey tamales making an look, after all) and lasts via the New 12 months. Anybody fortunate to be a member of the family, good friend or neighbor to somebody who makes tamales is aware of really how magical they’re, and it’s clear that is the kind of tamale about which Sluka and his band are singing their praises.
The music itself is far more lighthearted and enjoyable than SLUKA’s regular work, which tends to be dense, emotive and sophisticated. Clearly supposed at the least partially for teenagers, “Christmas Tamales” is joyful music, straightforward to sing alongside to with fairly easy lyrics, virtually like a Christmas Carol. It’s nonetheless received that SLUKA flare, nevertheless, with a great deal of heat, ambient sound design and synth supporting the well-composed and produced music. Sluka’s vocals themselves are booming and jovial with only a contact of cheek, type of like Jack Black’s in Tenacious D songs. An ideal carol to everybody’s favourite Christmas meals in Mexico and the American Southwest.
Sluka and his staff additionally created an equally enjoyable and family-forward animated video for “Christmas Tamales” utilizing AI made by SLUKA bass participant, Anna Eppink. The video is a wild trip via a Christmas wonderland the place yetis store for and put together the Christmas tamales. Tamales additionally dance within the sky because the band play the music. Whimsical, festive and type of trippy, it’s what one would anticipate if SLUKA did a Christmas video.
Whereas there are doubtless different songs in regards to the Christmas tamale custom, this one performed with such gusto and enjoyable means “Christmas Tamales” could possibly be an instantaneous traditional. With almost 200k views on the YouTube video already and 30k streams on Spotify, it’s effectively on its strategy to changing into a family vacation music and it’s an effective way to tease SLUKA’s upcoming album.
