The Boîte’s Portfolio Project artists Pal Mar have developed another stunner; 'Bailar' featuring Alejandro Rincón.
‘Don’t overthink it too much, this moment is meant to be. Together, moving as one. Now let the rhythm consume us…’
Pal Mar – the Melbourne-based Colombian duo of Isabella and Juan – released their superb debut EP Rua in 2021 and now return with the help of Alejandro Rincón’s incredible vocals on ‘Bailar’, a track that combines elements of Latin pop, bolero and flamenco for a very exciting collaboration that brings the best of Latin America to Melbourne.
‘Bailar’ now comes in both Spanish and English versions, with the original EP version featuring Melbourne-based Chinese-Cambodian queer pop artist JXCKY. Listen to both below.
Pal Mar and Alejandro Rincón’s ‘Bailar’
- Melbourne-based Colombian duo Pal Mar have teamed up with Alejandro Rincón for their latest release
- The Boite Portfolio Project duo have released a Spanish-language version of ‘Bailar’
- The track combines elements of Latin pop, bolero and flamenco, with Rincón’s sublime vocals
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Isabella says the song’s inspiration stems from the public intimacy of asking someone to dance.
“It seemed very interesting to me what that moment implied,” she explains. “Inviting someone you like to dance might seem superficial at first sight, but ‘Bailar’ is actually creating a very intimate moment despite being around other people at a party.
“‘Bailar’ represents the beginning of a beautiful romance from that first dance. It is filled with love and sensuality. That place when time seems to stop and you just feel and enjoy the present moment with that special person.”
Juan explains that JXCKY and Rincón both brought different strengths to the table. While JXCKY was pivotal in translating the original meaning to an English-speaking audience, Rincón restored the track’s familiarity. The pair met Rincón while studying music in Emmat, the Colombian affiliate of the famous Berklee College of Music, where Isabella and Juan first started playing together, and the trio are great friends, an understanding that’s evident from the fantastic collaboration.
“[JXCKY] helped us translate the song and managed to convey the original idea with his verse in English,” Juan says. “It was awesome to do a collab with an artist that is doing great music and has so much to say.
“Alejandro recorded vocals at the studio in Colombia, while we were in lockdown in Melbourne. We could listen to everything live through Zoom. It was very emotional due to the physical distance between the recording, but we were able to be that present with him at the studio.
“It is amazing how technology can take you from one place to another. We were listening to his voice while he was recording and we could feel the magic he brought to it.”
“We always wanted to collaborate with him,” Isabella adds. “We deeply admire his talent and beautiful voice, so a version entirely in Spanish was the perfect opportunity to do so. The whole point of the song is to share a special moment with someone else, so the song couldn’t just be sung by me.”
The best part is you’ll be able to witness the beauty of ‘Bailar’ live as part of The Boîte Spring Festival on September 25 at the Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. Pal Mar will be celebrating the launch of their EP and their recent version of ‘Bailar’, and the event will have Karina Lehman as their support act.
Karina is a Chilean/Australian singer-songwriter who mixes various rhythms from Latin America and incorporates elements of pop, bossa nova, jazz and folk, while embracing multiple languages such as Portuguese, Spanish and English.
“We’ll have a full Latin American celebration with Karina on the 25th, and we’ll be playing with a band so it will be a different show,” Isabella continues. “We are very excited to finally celebrate our EP launch after so much work and love we put to it!”
Tickets for their EP launch are now on sale here. Pal Mar will also be playing on Thursday October 6 at the Music Market in Collingwood Yards as part of The Boîte’s Emerging Diverse Artists Showcase. Tickets are now on sale here.
This article was made in partnership with The Boite.
