La Malamaña is a salsa and timba orchestra formed in 2008 in Quito, Ecuador, by founder and leader Edgar Granda. Located at an altitude of 2,850 meters above sea level, the group coined the term "salsa de altura" (altitude salsa) to describe their sound, which blends Ecuador's geographic reality with socially critical lyrics depicting daily life in the neighborhoods of Quito. The orchestra began as a tribute band performing music by prominent Fania All-Stars figures, Rubén Blades, Héctor Lavoe, and Cuban timba artists, drawing heavy stylistic influence from the raw neighborhood ensembles of 1970s and 1980s New York.
In 2011, the band released their debut album, "Manual De Urbanidad y Buenas Costumbres". They followed with the descriptive single "Salsa de Altura" in 2018. Over the next decade, the group consistently expanded their repertoire with a series of singles, including "América", "Bichos", and "El Negro Quiere Boogaloo" in 2023, and live recordings like "Manden a las casas (En Vivo)" in 2024. In 2025, La Malamaña released the single "Secreto"—accompanied by a rework version—alongside their studio album, "8 Pasos para Vivir el Fin del Mundo".
