It’s Ottawa musician Terry Gomes’ first single from his new EP 2 Open 3 Closed.
Photos: Alan Dean
Ottawa’s Terry Gomes has been described as “one of the capital’s most inventive musical voices.” So you’ll want to take a listen to Tego Agogo, the first single from his new EP 2 Open 3 Closed, out now. Full of cha-cha rhythm, vintage rock energy, and a gleeful sense of its own ridiculousness, the track is part satire, part tribute and entirely fun.
You’ll also get a kick out of knowing Terry was an elementary school teacher for 26 years. Back in the day, he studied classical guitar/composition at the University of Ottawa. And the title of his new single, Tego Agogo, tells you everything you need to know about Terry’s spirit.
Tego Agogo derives from a personal blend: “Te” from Terry, “go” from his last name, initial “A” from Anthony his middle name, and “Go-Go” of course refers to the clubs and dancers of the 1960s. The result is a word that is simultaneously a self-portrait and a love letter to an era. “You want a banger you can dance to? / One to really shake your pants to / And groove along right in a trance too,” Gomes sings, before the track pivots into a roll call of 1960s dances—the Watusi, the Frug, the Swim, the Mashed Potatoes, the Peppermint Twist, the Stroll, the Jerk—each delivered with the comedic timing of a man who has been waiting his whole life to make this particular song.
Musically, Tego Agogo is a study in deliberate collision. Gomes intentionally fused cha-cha and rock elements to reflect the dual streams of his musical identity – the Latin and Caribbean influences of his Guyanese heritage running headlong into the 60s rock and roll he has loved for just as long. The track features percussionist Arien Villegas on drums and timbale, alongside Alex Mastronardi on bass and Nick Dyson on trumpet. The whole thing was recorded and mixed at Audio Valley Studio by engineer Steve Foley and mastered by Jason Fee at Conduction Mastering. terrygomes.com
