The Battle of Santiago (band)

Background

The group is led by Michael Owen (bass player and producer) and has a rotating cast of musicians, featuring Lyle Crilly (guitar and synth), Reimundo Sosa (percussion and vocals), Magdelys Savigne (percussion and vocals), Netto Brooks (vocals), Isax (saxophone and flute), and Sty Larocque (drums).

In 2012, the band's debut album “Full Colour” was released under their label "Made With Pencil Crayons." The album became the #1 hit on the weekly Canadian college radio charts for International music and stayed in the national Top 20 charts for 4 months. Also, the release reached #1 in a few local markets in Canada, including Guelph and Calgary, also reaching #3 on the Jazz charts on CFRU in Guelph,Ontario. Additionally, this release was selected for CJSR Edmonton's best of 2012 list and reached #13 on Earshot's Top 20 for 2012 on the International music charts.

In 2013, the Battle of Santiago released their second album "Followed by Thousands" under their label "Made With Pencil Crayons." The album became the #1 hit on the weekly Canadian college radio charts for International music on CJSR in Edmonton, holding #5 for two months on the top 20 Earshot charts for International music in late 2012. This release has also hit the charts in the United States reaching #18 on KALX with tracks featured on Latino USA.

Also in 2013, the band was nominated for a SiriusXM Indie Award for World Music Artist of the year. The Knoxville News Sentinel concluded "even if Followed by Thousands fails to sustain keen interest, its mild appeal is consistent", and the group has received coverage from a variety of media outlets.

The Battle of Santiago has opened for artists like Cadence Weapon, Saul Williams, and Femi Kuti. The band has performed at the Hillside Festival, Canadian Music Week, NXNE, OCFF, Mundial Montreal, Le Festival Music Multi-Montreal, the Harrison Festival for the Arts, and the Small World Music Festival.

Band members

Discography