The Speakers were a rock band from Bogotá, Colombia. The members of its fourth and last incarnation were Spanish multi-instrumentalist Rodrigo García, Italian percussionist Roberto Fiorilli and Colombian multi-instrumentalist Humberto Monroy (R.I.P.), a.k.a. “HuMo” (“Smoke”). For most of their career they were a rock and roll / pop rock band, but later they got into psychedelic rock with their album “En El Maravilloso Mundo De Ingesón” (“In The Wonderful World Of Ingesón”), released in 1968.

This LP was released entirely at the expense of the band, with no record company involved. They pressed 1000 copies of the album, which is perhaps the very best-presented music album in a country in which artwork is not important for record companies. It’s a gatefold single LP with a big, full-color 12-page booklet and a fake LSD pill with the directions “para experiencias extrasensoriales, tráguese sin masticar” (“for extra-sensorial experiences, swallow without chewing”). Also, the band members themselves sprayed the records with perfume of roses before putting them inside the jacket.

“Ingesón” is the name of the studio in which the album was recorded. The owner offered the band free working time as long as the studio’s name was prominently displayed on the album. Roberto Fiorilli, who used to spend a lot of time in the studio, told the owner “how about ‘En el maravilloso mundo de Ingesón’ for the album’s title?”, to which he replied “you can start tomorrow!”

The “430336” in the LP’s catalog number (KS 430336 HP 1/5) was actually Fiorilli’s phone number, and “HP” is Spanish for “S.O.B.”. There’s also a warning on the labels: “Ojo con lo que hace con este disco. Es nuestro” (“Watch what you do with this record. It’s ours”).

“En El Maravilloso Mundo De Ingesón” is the last album released by The Speakers, which dissolved when Rodrigo García decided to return to his country.

This is an album made in Colombia in the late 60s, a country and time in which limitations were immensely greater than those that could arise in developed countries. That’s why this is a truly revolutionary work for its place and time. It’s not rare to see it in “most important rock albums made in Latin America” lists. In 2013, German label Shadoks Music reissued the album in a limited edition of 500 numbered copies. They replicated every detail from the original album minus the fake pill and the vinyl’s rose smell, but those omissions can be easily fixed. Here you can hear the entire LP, captured from copy #306 out of 500 pressed by Shadoks Music.

(00:00) Video intro

THE SPEAKERS – EN EL MARAVILLOSO MUNDO DE INGESÓN (IN THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF INGESÓN)

SIDE A:

(00:28) 01. Por La Mañana (In The Morning)
(03:08) 02. Oda A La Gente Mediocre (Ode To Mediocre People)
(06:17) 03. Hay Un Extraño Esperando En La Puerta (There’s A Stranger Waiting At The Door)
(08:06) 04. Si La Guerra Es Buen Negocio, Invierte A Tus Hijos (If War Is A Good Business, Then Invest Your Children)
(10:20) 05. Reflejos De La Olla (Pot Reflections)
(13:22) 06. Historia De Un Loto Que Floreció En Otoño (History Of A Lotus That Blossomed In Autumn)

SIDE B:

(17:07) 07. Niños (Children)
(19:18) 08. No Como Antes (Not Like Before)
(22:05) 09. La Banda Le Hace A Ud. Caer En Cuenta Que… (The Band Makes You Realize That…)
(24:48) 10. Nosotros, Nuestra Arcadia, Nuestra Hermanita Pequeña. Gracias Por Los Buenos Ratos (Us, Our Arcadia, Our Little Sister, Thank You For The Good Times)
(27:38) 11. Un Sueño Mágico (A Magic Dream)
(29:47) 12. Psalmo Siglo XX, Era De La Destrucción (20th Century Psalm, Era Of Destruction)

Numark TTXUSB turntable – Nagaoka MP-500 phono cartridge – ART DJPRE II phono stage preamp – Vinyl record vinilo LP