Song You Need to Know: Quantic and Nidia Góngora, ‘Balada Borracha’

When the producer Quantic and the Colombian singer Nidia Góngora connected for Curao, an album-length collaboration from 2017, the result was a low-key triumph. Ping-ponging tracks like “Que Me Duele?” rushed breathlessly towards the dance floor, while quieter moments like “Maldito Muchacho” left room for Góngora to showcase her formidable vocal delivery, husky yet flexible.

The two reconnected this month for “Balada Borracha,” an unhurried cumbia that Góngora dedicated to “all the drinkers and drunkards” in her hometown of Timbiqui. The track opens with a tangle of electric guitar before arranging itself into a lurching forward march; strings whirl prettily, briefly evoking another Quantic track, “You Will Return.” Góngora plays with tempo, sometimes slowing to a near-halt, and brings an impressive arsenal of vocal effects to her lines, including a bird-like twitter at the start of the song and a cheerful laugh halfway through.

“Balada Borracha” will appear this October on Almas Conectadas, the follow-up to Curao. The new album is part of a wave of releases from Quantic, who also put out a party-starting “Cut a Rug” mix of Khruangbin’s “Pelota” — clap-happy and bass-heavy — along with the slippery “I Won’t Fade Away,” a stop-start ode to resilience that hints at U.K. garage.

Góngora has been busy since Curao as well, appearing on Sonic Forest, a solo release from Simón Mejía of Bomba Estereo, and collaborating with the Dominican singer Vicente García.

Find a playlist of all of our recent Songs You Need to Know selections on Spotify.