THEKOIWAY and Jamez Manuel Burn Bright on “La Calle Quema”
From Santiago to Brooklyn: THEKOIWAY and Jamez Manuel Burn Bright on “La Calle Quema”
Listen to “La Calle Quema” HERE
THEKOIWAY is a boundary-pushing Latin Alternative project led by Chilean multi-instrumentalist and producer Victor Vildósola, blending Andean instruments, funk grooves, hip-hop rhythms, and Latin folk into a genre-fluid sound best described as global, gritty, and deeply human. Now based in Brooklyn, Vildósola brings together decades of musical influence, from the streets of Santiago and Mexico City to the underground pulse of New York, to create music that moves both body and mind.
Their new single “La Calle Quema” is a decade-spanning collaboration with Chilean artist Jamez Manuel (Zonora Point), born in a Mexico City studio in 2012 and reimagined in Brooklyn in 2024. With live drums, fiery verses, and production touches from mixer Rocky Gallo (Norah Jones, CeeLo Green) and mastering engineer Tom Waltz (Fleetwood Mac, Alicia Keys), the track fuses funk, hip-hop, and Latin soul into a powerful street anthem.
“La Calle Quema was born from lived experience—moving between Santiago and New York, seeing how the street shapes people, how it breaks some and builds others,” says Vildósola.
The song’s lyrics tackle survival, inequality, and moments of joy in the middle of chaos, referencing motochorros, Bronx blocks, communal kitchens, and street takeovers. It’s gritty, grounded, and unapologetically honest.
“I was chasing a raw, groove-heavy sound that fused funk and hip hop with Latin American lyrical cadence,” Vildósola explains. “I wanted it to feel sweaty, intense, and unpolished—but still polished enough to move people.”
The single is accompanied by two music videos, including an accessible version featuring Chilean sign language interpreter Ludo Ibarra, reinforcing the band’s commitment to inclusion and the idea of music as a universal language. Visually inspired by Latin American realism and handheld street footage, the video brings raw textures to life.
“I wasn’t chasing a storyline—I was after textures, moods, rawness,” Vildósola says. “I wanted everything—from the mix to the visuals—to feel lived-in, unpolished, and close to the ground.”
At its core, THEKOIWAY is about storytelling through music, performance, and lived experience. Whether on stage with immersive visuals and choreography led by Tumi Vil Nkomo, or on record with collaborators like Jamez, THEKOIWAY offers more than just sound. It’s a visceral, cross-cultural movement rooted in identity, resistance, and connection.
INSTAGRAM - FACEBOOK - X - TIKTOK - Linktree
Photo Credit: Gonzalo Donoso
