Thank You SLUKA! There’s Lastly a Track About ‘Christmas Tamales!’ [Video]

Christopher Sluka is often recognized for his critical, extremely technical, expertly composed orchestral work with a touch of synth, however his latest effort is something however critical. Except you’re from Mexico or the American Southwest, that’s. These of us dwelling wherever from Colorado to Baja California know simply how essential tamales are year-round, to not point out Christmas. Now, “Christmas Tamales” is the anthem to the corn-based parcels we at all times wanted for the season, due to Sluka and his band, the aptly named SLUKA.

The lore of the tamale is huge and various, its origins courting again millennia to Mesoamerican cultures however their present type, which impressed Sluka’s rousing Christmas ode, are nonetheless very a lot a staple wherever one would possibly discover a big Hispanic tradition. Manufactured from a corn masa base and wrapped often in corn husks (in Southern Mexican and Central American areas, banana leaves are additionally a potential selection), they range when it comes to their taste and filling. Conventional savory decisions 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 crammed with raisins, pineapples of mangoes.

In Southern California the place Sluka doubtless found the normal pocket meals, tamales can be found all 12 months lengthy at eating places, taco vans and even at many locations of enterprise, the place industrious residence cooks will promote them to hungry staff. These do-it-yourself, recent tamales are thought-about the very best 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 large pots and begin to make them for household and buddies. The Christmas tamale-giving season often begins proper after Thanksgiving (with scrumptious turkey tamales making an look, after all) and lasts by way of the New Yr. Anybody fortunate to be a member of the family, buddy or neighbor to somebody who makes tamales is aware of actually 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 tune itself is rather more lighthearted and enjoyable than SLUKA’s ordinary work, which tends to be dense, emotive and complicated. Clearly meant at the very least partially for teenagers, “Christmas Tamales” is joyful tune, straightforward to sing alongside to with fairly easy lyrics, nearly like a Christmas Carol. It’s nonetheless bought that SLUKA flare, nonetheless, 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 group 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 journey by way of 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 tune. Whimsical, festive and type of trippy, it’s what one would count on if SLUKA did a Christmas video.

Whereas there are doubtless different songs in regards to the Christmas tamale custom, this one achieved with such gusto and enjoyable means “Christmas Tamales” could possibly be an on the spot basic. With practically 200k views on the YouTube video already and 30k streams on Spotify, it’s properly on its approach to turning into a family vacation tune and it’s a good way to tease SLUKA’s upcoming album.