Gumbo Diablo

Rank #1 Boston, MA World / Latin / Zydeco

About

Members: Wendy Kinal - Lead Vocals, Percussion, Accordion; Ken Hiatt - Accordion, Keys, Vocals; Dave Langhoff - Drums; Jeff Trout - Bass

Sounds Like: Los Lobos, Los Fabulocos, Rupa and the April Fishes

Bio: Gumbo Diablo is a Boston-based quartet specializing in a sound they call pan-Americana – roots rock that crosses borders and boundaries. Mixing traditions such as zydeco and r&b from Louisiana, cumbia from Colombia, forro from Brazil, and modern roots-influenced rock, they have been amazing audie... See Full Bio

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Status

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Press

“Gumbo Diablo have come up with a lively, entertaining sound on their new CD, 'The Gods We Were Before'. Roots, Cajun, rock and roll, and the coolest accordion work around combine into something fun, edgy, and inspiring. Whatever influences are brewing in any song, Gumbo Diablo never scrimp on structure, style, and talent. Their album doesn’t just have a little bit of everything from Americana roots; it plays each influence well, and the band reaches that point where influences do not matter nearly as much as the fetching originality they have created”

— Bill Copeland, www.billcopelandmusicnews.com

“‘The Hard Sell,’ by Boston’s Gumbo Diablo, may well be my first music crush of 2012. I’m terribly addicted to this song, with its strange zydeco-meets-indie madness and its rocking accordion. (Yes, I said that.) There’s nothing about this song that’s not completely awesome, and indeed, the rest of the band’s 2011 album, The Gods We Were Before, holds up. There’s an incredibly vivacious spirit about this band, along with a sense of juggling madly on the precipice between musical nostalgia and what’s fresh and new. Much, much fun”

— Victor D. Infante, Worcester Telegram & Gazette

“Can Gumbo Diablo really be from Boston? From their album’s opening accordion kick, the band is unabashedly Bayou, rollicking with a groove that reeks of New Orleans sweat and hurricanes (the drink, not the storms). If their recorded output reflects their live energy, this band’s a must-see”

— Peter Chianca, The Patriot Ledger

“Gumbo Diablo deliver spot-on flavors of New Orleans and the breezy Caribbean…a flaming hot dish of Cajun, roots-rock sounds sure to quench everyone’s musical thirst”

— Douglas Sloane, Metronome

“...a heady brew...bristling with energy...fearless”

— Michael Witthaus, The Hippo

“...irresistibly appealing...a refreshing world music stew of life-affirming numbers”

— Francis DiMenno, The Noise

“Gumbo Diablo is a rollicking, boisterous, and unapologetic band whose sound runs the gamut from folk to dancey pop to the occasional sweet, slow, old-timey waltz. When you see them live, expect to be surprised–and please don’t forget your dancing shoes”

— Adwoa Gyimah-Brempong, Tea Party Boston

“It’s hard to sit still during their fiery up-tempo covers, like their medley of ‘House of the Rising Sun’ and ‘Sea Lion Woman.’ And yet the band is no less enthralling when they slow things down: the heart-wrenching ‘Louisiana 1927′ is sincere in its raw grief thanks to Wendy’s haunting vocals and Ken’s mournful chord progressions. However, it is Gumbo Diablo’s original songs that make the group stand out. In a flooded field of local bands, Gumbo Diablo retains fans with their originality and dependability”

— Sarah Jessica Johnson, The Diverse Arts Project

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Recent Blogs

Songs

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Play "Spirits of Louisian'"

Spirits of Louisian'

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Play "Cumbia Oscura"

Cumbia Oscura

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Play "Little Discomforts"

Little Discomforts

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Play "Let Me Be the One"

Let Me Be the One

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Play "The Hard Sell"

The Hard Sell

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Videos

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Shows

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Sat
May 25

Red Parka Pub
Glen, NH, US | 9:00pm
Red Parka Pub
Glen, NH, US
Sat May 25 9:00pm
- Show Details
- Tickets
Fri
Jun 7

Seaport Cafe
Salem, MA, US | 9:00pm
Seaport Cafe
Salem, MA, US
Fri Jun 07 9:00pm
- Show Details
- Tickets
Sat
Jun 15

Sugarbush South Base Lo…
Warren, VT, US | 3:00pm
Sugarbush South Base Lodge
Warren, VT, US
Sat Jun 15 3:00pm
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- Tickets
Details

Sugarbush BrewGrass Festival
Thu
Jun 27

International Festival …
New Haven, CT, US | 12:00pm
International Festival Of A...
New Haven, CT, US
Thu Jun 27 12:00pm
- Show Details
- Tickets
Sat
Jun 29

Penuche's Ale House
Concord, NH, US | 10:00pm
Penuche's Ale House
Concord, NH, US
Sat Jun 29 10:00pm
- Show Details
- Tickets