Cain Culto played a free show at ZeyZey in Miami, celebrating his debut album, “Culto,” in nearly 100-degree heat. The vocalist and violinist, who describes himself as a queer “Palm Beach git,” drew a crowd that danced, sang and, by the account of Miami New Times, stripped down alongside him.
Culto, a former Christian rock frontman with roots in Colombia, Appalachia and fundamentalist Christianity, writes much of his music about leaving that religion. He told New Times that he had felt disempowered for years because he was afraid to express what was most authentic to him. He said he wanted the album to pair aggression and raw sexuality with fragile, personal moments.
Many of those moments draw on his relationship with his grandmother, parents and siblings. Culto said he became estranged from his family after leaving their faith, a theme that runs through songs such as “Chiquilinda” and “2 wolves.”
The record moves between the Bible, Hinduism and Santería, and between Appalachia and Colombia. It mixes English, Spanish and some Portuguese. Culto said he wants his work to push listeners toward action rather than leave them overwhelmed.
The review describes the performance as furious, playful and aching, and says it is meant to make listeners harder to swallow.
