Espiritu

Latin-flavoured 90s dance duo from Brighton, Sussex, England, comprising Vanessa Quinnones and Chris Taplin (ex-Frazier Chorus). Quinnones, half-Peruvian and half-French, grew up in an affluent suburb of Paris under the care of a South American nanny, whose name, Francisca, was subsequently employed as the title of Espiritu’s debut single in 1992. It was about her treatment at the hands of Quinnones’ mother. The group’s second single, ‘Conquistador’, was another slice of classy Latin dance. Its Andrew Weatherall remix had originally taken the club scene by storm, with copies reaching extravagant prices of over £100, before the stock release arrived. Signed to Heavenly Records, the single was a continuation of their thoughtful approach to lyrics demonstrated by their debut. This time the subject was the exploitation of South American Indians in the name of civilization. A third single, ‘Bonita Monana’, continued the club/chart crossover in 1994.