The Toughers are a Colombian-born all star band, uncovering dimensions of first wave ska, rocksteady, and early reggae, weaving them with soul, dub, and the roots of the Caribbean and South America.
The group was formed in 2022 and led by Pablo 'Mambe' Araoz, co-founder of the band Alerta Kamarada, and joined by top musicians from genres as diverse as jazz, hardcore, salsa, funk, and reggae. They have backed reggae legends such as Roy Ellis (Mr. Symarip) and Natty Bo of Ska Cubano, shared stages with Jamaican artists like Stranger Cole, Rudy Mills, Susan Cadogan, The Steady 45s, members of The Aggrolites, Inspecter 7 and more. In August 2024, they played the SkaMania festival at The Glass House in Pomona and toured all across California promoting their debut single “Abrakadabra”.
Their debut album “Eclipse de Soul” is a truly introspective record that pulls references from Ska Cubano, The Aggrolites, The Skatalites, Lee “Scratch” Perry and Chicano soul, combined with Colombian genres like son and merecumbe. Tracks range from the scorching ska of 'Libre Como El Viento', the skinhead style of 'Bosstellar International', uptempo Spanglish reggae groover 'Land Grab' to the lowrider soul of 'I Got Love'. The album includes 2 bonus dubs too!
Tracklist
Ska-Steady Side
A1. Libre Como El Viento
A2. Land Grab
A3. Bosstellar International
A4. El Segundo Boulevar
Soul Dub Side
B1. Unity
B2. Don't Play With My Heart
B3. I Got Love
B4. Dub Unify
B5. Libre Como El Dub
