El Oso de Benalúa y sus Sabandijas

Antonio Travé (El Oso de Benalúa) is a restless musician whose passion for music has led him to explore various styles, including psychedelic pop-rock with Elemento Desierto, folk with El Osombroso y Sonriente Folk de las Badlands, blues-rock with Chicken Congress, and blues with El Oso y sus Sabandijas. The Granada native is a guitarist, singer, harmonica player, and producer who has released more than ten albums throughout his career. He has also produced albums such as Devil Inside and Roots by La Pana Brothers and Bad Lands Blues by Fernando Beiztegui y los Culpables. He also maintains an intense live performance schedule, particularly with El Oso y sus Sabandijas. The band is made up of El Oso de Benalúa on vocals, guitars, and harmonica; Toni Molina Moya on guitar; Dani Levy on double bass and electric bass; and Giggs Nother on drums. Molina Moya is a regular collaborator on all Travé’s projects and one of the most important guitarists on the Andalusian scene. Levy is a highly versatile musician with extensive experience who has collaborated with figures such as Ñaco Goñi, Mingo Balaguer, and Richard Ray Farrell (USA). Giggs Nother is a flamenco percussionist, producer, and blues and jazz drummer. Together, they have released records such as Directo en La Coquette in 2019 and Magic Hooker Rush in 2022, establishing themselves as one of the most dynamic and interesting projects in the Spanish blues scene.

Be Careful, recorded, mixed, and produced by Antonio Travé at Las Fieras del Extrarradio Studios in Benalúa (Granada), is not a mere exercise in aesthetic revisionism. On the contrary, it is an album that revives the true spirit of the genre. In addition to its sublime production and intentionally vintage sound, the album presents an exquisite selection of songs performed impeccably by a band that demonstrates its expertise and outstanding knowledge of this musical language.

From the Chicago sound of Be Careful by singer and guitarist John Brim to the Texan vibe of Ride with My Baby by guitarist and singer Long John Hunter. Other highlights include the excellent acoustic rendition of the classic By the Water and the ancestral I’d Rather Drink Muddy Water.  Be Careful is an invitation to an exciting journey through the blues. It’s a diverse collection that spans nearly fifty years of musical history and evokes artists like the legendary Slim Harpo on Don’t Start Crying Now, pays homage to influential figures like Willie Dixon on Crazy Mixed-Up World and Three Hundred Pounds of Joy, celebrating Little Walter´s talent on Blue and Lonesome. The rhythm section’s versatility and solidity are worth highlighting when tackling compositions such as Satisfied and Walking with Frankie, one of the album´s jewels. Toni Molina and El Oso’s excellent guitar work is also notable, and El Oso’s wide vocal range is one of the hallmarks of this project. The album concludes with In the Wee Hours, a shuffle instrumental composition by Travé.

Be Careful was born from the most visceral intuition to fulfill the desires of the spirit. It is ancient music that seems simple in form yet is profound and mysterious in substance. An album from the gut, with the passion exclusively reserved for bands like El Oso y sus Sabandijas.