Patria is the debut label release by the Vancouver based, World Latin band Mazacote. While the music is inspired by the vibrant sounds of Colombia, Mozambique and Nicaragua, the lyrics from lead singer David Lopez are a conversation with his Nicaraguan homeland: “In the first years of my family’s life in Canada the longing for that life I used to know was very strong. At the end of my first trip back to Nicaragua, it was hard to leave and return to Canada. Years have gone by, and although I don’t feel that way anymore, I wanted to capture that all-too-common longing and nostalgia that many immigrants feel. It’s possible that the memories may be tainted by hardship and suffering, but deep down that longing never goes away”. Conversely, the first single “Levanta la Copa” is meant to capture the joy of a carefree night dancing with friends, or as Lopez says: “this rumba is good to forget all the bad things in life”.