Matamba

Juan Carlos Chiorino Basurco (born 4 February 1986), known professionally as Matamba, el mensajero de Lion or simply Matamba, is an Argentine-Bolivian singer, songwriter and record producer.

Matamba has developed his career primarily in the reggae genre, consolidating a prominent presence within Bolivian alternative music and participating in tours that span countries such as Mexico, Nicaragua, Argentina, and Chile. as well as the second version of the Reggae Fest in 2010 held in Paraguay and the 9 Mile Music Festival 2017 held in Miami.

Matamba also participated in international productions such as the Tributo Mundial a Los Cadillacs and for the Green Album: Reggae Tribute to The Beatles, where he was selected to reinterpret a song from each band, adapting it to his style.

Early life Matamba was born in Buenos Aires, into an artistic environment, the son of Argentine producer Carlos Domingo Chiorino Piaggio and Afro-Peruvian singer Carmen Rosa Basurco Aedo. From an early age, he was strongly influenced by his father's compositions and his mother's performances. He arrived in Santa Cruz de la Sierra during his childhood and grew up there, developing a cultural identity linked to Bolivia.

The family initially settled in the San Aurelio neighborhood and later, in 1994, moved to Cotoca. During this period, Matamba forged links with those who would form his first musical band.

Career 1997–2005: Kerux and Contracultura In 1997, Matamba founded the band Kerux (also spelled K-Rux), considered one of the first hardcore bands formed in Santa Cruz de la Sierra.

Given the absence of a local hardcore scene, the band began performing in public spaces, which led to the formation of a collective of musicians, skaters, and graffiti artists, which Matamba called "La Raza."

Later, Matamba founded the band Contracultura, with which he expanded his influence in the Bolivian alternative rock scene. This project introduced his own style that the artist called Dreadcore, a fusion of Rastafarian-inspired reggae (dread) and the hardcore genre. Two years later, in 2009, he participated again in Pepsi Music 2009, further consolidating his presence on the international music scene.

That same year, Matamba was invited by the PopArt label to participate in the tribute album Vos You Know... How I Was Waiting for You, dedicated to the band Los Fabulosos Cadillacs. In that project, he performed the song "Desapariciones" by Rubén Blades, sharing the stage with artists such as Cultura Profética, Aterciopelados, Cartel de Santa, Los Amigos Invisibles, No Te Va Gustar, and Dr. Krápula. A year later, in the second edition in 2010, he stood out again with another participation in the Reggae Fest, strengthening his presence in the Paraguayan music scene. Matamba's presentation was positively received, playing a crucial role in promoting Bolivian reggae on the international music scene.

2014–2020: Concerts and collaborations with the Marley family In 2014, Matamba participated in another collaborative project, this time contributing to the album "Hemp! Reggae Tribute to The Beatles Vol. 2" with his cover of "All My Loving." This album, which included 56 tracks by 47 artists from 16 countries, paid tribute to The Beatles in a reggae-style musical style. The event, organized in tribute to the reggae legend, included a notable performance of "Redemption Song" as a duet between Ky-Mani Marley and Matamba.

In the second half of 2016, Matamba received an invitation from the United States government to participate in the "Fostering Civic Engagement and Social Impact through the Arts" program, which aims to promote social change through the arts. During his stay in the United States, he toured four cities in the country in June and July. In addition, he worked on the release of his third album, which included a collaboration with Ky-Mani Marley.

Thanks to the friendship between Matamba and Ky-Mani, the Marley family invited Matamba to the 24th edition of the 9 Mile Music Festival in 2017, making him the first Latin American to be part of the line-up of this annual event created by Cedella Marley Booker, Bob Marley's mother.

2021–present After several years of hiatus, in 2021, Matamba resumed his musical activities with a collaboration with Puerto Rican rapper Manny Montes on the song Praise. That same year he participated in the event Respira Vol. 2, along with Guisela Santa Cruz, María Juana, Animal de Ciudad, Luciel Izumi, Javvi Elias and Gaby Ferreyra, among others.

In 2022, together with Bonny Lovy, Matamba signed a contract with Warner Music Latina's subsidiary, Warner Music Argentina, who were to distribute his music from then on and all his previous discography. In addition, he was invited by Marcelo Tinelli to participate as a judge in the 2023 edition of the program Canta conmigo ahora, an Argentine adaptation of the British format All Together Now.

During 2023, Matamba was nominated in multiple categories at the Bolivia Music Awards, including Best Rock Artist, Songwriter of the Year, and the prestigious Male Artist of the Year category. Although he did not win awards in those categories, he received special recognition as an "Emblematic Artist," in recognition of his career and relevance in national music.

In May of that same year, Matamba announced the return of the band Contracultura to the stage after a long period of inactivity. The announcement was made through social media, accompanied by audiovisual material from their past performances. The return took place at the Family Fest event, held at the Estadio Ramón Tahuichi Aguilera in Santa Cruz.

In August 2024, Matamba participated in the Gospel Festival in Bogotá, Colombia, one of the leading gospel music gatherings in Latin America. The event, held under the theme "Water of Life," combined artistic performances with messages about environmental awareness and water resource conservation. During his performance, Matamba performed part of his repertoire before more than 40,000 attendees.

Personal life On 10 March 2022, Matamba publicly denounced an incident of discrimination at the Brasargent restaurant in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, after being expelled for wearing a sleeveless sports garment during a family celebration. The establishment's staff offered him a shirt from the restaurant to access the salad bar, citing hygiene standards and respect for other customers. When he refused, he was asked to leave the premises, a situation that he broadcast live on social media. The following day, Matamba filed a formal complaint for racism and discrimination. As a result, the restaurant was fined 10,000 UFV (approximately Bs 23,000), according to the Vice Ministry for the Defense of User and Consumer Rights. Later, the restaurant owner offered a public apology, which was accepted by the artist.

Discography Credits taken from iTunes.

Studio albums 2007: Estilo Dread 2013: Buenas Nuevas 2018: Lion Army 2021: Matamba Lion Army

Collaboration albums 2009: Tributo A Los Fabulosos Cadillacs 2013: Hemp! A Reggae Tribute to The Beatles, Vol. II

Singles Solo 2011: Desapariciones (LFC) 2013: Más fuerte que el dolor 2017: Háblame de ti 2019: Abrazándome 2019: Que no me pierda 2019: Patria 2019: El Bolero 2020: Viva Santa Cruz 2021: The Scientist 2021: Nattyvidad 2021: Tenía tanto para darte 2022: Ciudadano 2022: La profecia del "10" 2023: Portal de luz 2023: Santo eres 2024: No woman, no cry (Ya no llores más) 2024: Awakening

With Contracultura 2023: Cristo va a venir 2024: La rebelión 2024: Pagarás con dolor (No podrás escapar)

Collaborations 2005 - Taquirari pa' ti, with Mimi Arakaki 2007 - Tierra de colores, with Animal de Ciudad 2013 - Esfuerzate, with De La Fe 2013 - Si tu no estás junto a mi, with Dany Deglein 2016 - Firme y adelante, with Radikal People 2019 - Justo a tiempo, with Pablo Betancourth 2019 - Representando al rey, with De La Fe, Manny Montes and Radikal People 2021 - Praise, with Manny Montes 2022 - Unidos, with Fabian Liendo, Klan Destino, Las Sandalias, Mesías Reggae, Nengo Vieira, Proclamazion and Radikal People 2022 - Honor, with A.N.I.M.A.L. and Lucybell 2022 - Te quiero amor, with Chila Jatun 2024 - Él te espera, with Año Cero 2024 - Tamo junto, with Jah Live 2025 - Corrida de Rato, with Machete Bomb, Thestrow and Alienação Afrofuturista

Awards and nominations

Bolivia Music Awards