Satanas

ZZK Records Presents: Satanás, Karen y Los Remedios New Single Karen y Los Remedios reimagine cult cumbia classic "Satanás" In Latin America, the figure of Satan has evolved through centuries of religious syncretism, shaped by the meeting of colonial Catholicism and Indigenous and Afro-descendant traditions. Rather than representing pure evil, Satan often appears in popular culture as a mischievous, irreverent, and deeply human character. It is from this tradition that Satanás emerged. Originally written in 1981 by Colombian composer Publio Martínez and his group Los Corraleros, and recorded in Mexico for the legendary Discos Peerless label, the song was conceived as a tongue-in-cheek tropical cumbia. It tells the story of a lovelorn man who, after finding no answer from God, turns to Satan, not to strike a sinister bargain, but simply to ask for a dance partner who loves to party. In the late 1990s, the song found a second life in Monterrey through La Tropa Vallenata, whose version on Fantasía Tropical 666 introduced the slow-burning pulse of cumbia rebajada and norteño accordion. Over time, it became a cult favorite within Monterrey's cumbia scene and Mexico's sonidero culture. Inspired by the hypnotic groove, emotional depth, and cinematic atmosphere of that recording, Karen y Los Remedios bring Satanás into their own sonic world, where cumbia intersects with dreamlike electronics, melancholy, and a distinctly feminine perspective. Their version preserves the slow, immersive rhythm of cumbia rebajada while weaving in atmospheric guitars, hazy synthesizers, and understated electronic production. Karen's intimate vocal performance transforms the song into something both mysterious and tender, where the dance floor becomes a space for catharsis, healing, and release. Satanás also plays a key role within Bestiaria, the band's forthcoming album exploring feminine archetypes, folklore, and mythology through a visceral and deeply personal lens. Occupying the album's nocturnal chapter, the song delves into desire, fire, and everything women have historically been discouraged from expressing or embodying. Reimagined through Karen's voice, the story takes on an entirely new dimension. What was once a man's plea for companionship becomes a playful, flirtatious exchange that subtly hints at desire between women. Alongside tracks such as Alucarda and La Bruja, Satanás uses the hypnotic weight of cumbia rebajada to make space for stories and identities that have long existed at the margins, transforming the dance floor into a place of freedom, longing, and quiet resistance. For this single, Karen y Los Remedios invited artist Don Baldemar to create the artwork. Now 78, Don Baldemar has developed a distinctive artistic practice centered around imaginative drawings of characters and animals. After spending more than a decade living on the streets of Mexico City, his life took a turn in 2020 when designer Tania Ríos discovered his work and began sharing it on social media, helping him leave the streets and continue his artistic practice. Among his most recognizable creations are his “little devils,” which take center stage in the artwork for Satanás, bringing a striking visual dimension to the song’s themes of desire, darkness, and liberation.