The Roots of Chicha: Psychedelic Cumbias From Peru

by Roots Of Chicha / Various

Overview

Chicha is an indigenous music that was spontaneously created by the culture clash of the '60s when the Indian population of the Peruvian Amazon discovered the Columbian pop music known as cumbia and American rock & roll. As cheap electric instruments became available, Amazon Indians put together dance bands that used the syncopated beat of cumbia -- which sounds like a laid-back Latin cousin of ska -- as the foundation for melodies that sound like Andean folk tunes, played on electric guitar with lots of effects and Tex-Mex style Farfisa. When the Indians moved to the city, most notably Lima, they brought their music with them. Like Afro Peruvian music, chicha was frowned upon by the middle and upper classes, but unlike the music of Afro-Peru, chicha never gained an international following, until now. Oliver Conan, owner of the Barbes nightclub and record label, discovered the music on a recent trip to Peru. He also discovered that the label that put out a lot of the music had gone bankrupt and many of the master recordings were lost. He finally tracked down six Chicha combos -- los Mirlos, Juaneco y Su Combo, los Hijos del Sola, los Destellos, los Diablos Rojos and Eusebio y Su Banjo -- and put together this 17-track compilation. American listeners will be surprised at how familiar the music sounds, with the sprightly garage band meets Tex-Mex bounce of the organ, the twangy surf guitar lines, Cuban counter rhythms, and Andean melodies. Los Destellos name all their compositions after women and show the strongest Latin/Cuban flavor and the most eclectic approach. They transform Beethoven's Fuer Elise into "Para Elisa" a jaunty track with the melody played on twangy surf guitar backed by a simple rhythm section of gueira, bongos and bass. "A Patricia" plays off their guitarist's psychedelic chops against the bands ever shifting rhythmic accents on timbales, bongos and cowbells. Los Mirlos were popular in the '70s, and their tunes include "Sonido Amazonico," a vaguely Arabic melody played on surf guitar over a stark cumbia beat; "El Milagro Verde," with a chiming electric guitar, shimmering, hiccoughing Farfisa and rowdy background vocals, and "Muchachita del Oriente," which sounds like a Cuban cowboy song with a Columbian beat. Juaneco y Su Combo feature a charismatic singer with a gruff, quavering vocal style and asymmetrical, organ-heavy melodies that may be Indian-influenced. "Ya Se Ha Muerto Mi Abuelo" is one of the album's catchiest tracks with a call and response vocal that recalls "El Condor Pasa"; "Vacilando con Ayahuesca" has a rhythm that's part funk, part ska, but not exactly cumbia, rock or salsa; a panting female vocalist gives the tune a sweaty, sexy vibe. Los Hijos del Sola have a real rock & roll vibe, punctuating their tunes with percussive shouts, mad shrieks and rowdy ensemble vocals. Their songs have the strongest Andean influence, although they play the Andean melodies with a Dick Dale-influenced 32nd note attack. "Linda Munequita," "Si Me Quieres," and "Carinito" all jump out at you with their raucous energy and sparkling guitar work. Over-the-top vocals and odd shifts in time and tempo mark the work of Los Diablos Rojos. Their guitar player drops rippling runs in and around the macho shouts and imprecations of their lead vocalist, who laughs, bellows and growls like a madman on "El Guapo" and "Sacalo Sacalo." Eusebio y Su Banjo's single track, "Mi Morena Rebelde," has a muddy sound, but its distorted guitar and galloping beat make it irresistible. ~ j. poet

Product Details

Release Date:	07/13/2012
Label:	Barbès
UPC:	0659123014014
Rank:	25273

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Sonido Amazonico  -  Mirlos
2. Linda Nena  -  Juaneco y Su Combo
3. Cari¿¿ito  -  Hijos del Sol
4. Patricia  -  Destellos
5. Sacalo Sacalo  -  Diablos Rojos
6. Silbando  -  Los Riberenos
7. El Diablo  - Compay Quinto
8. Elsa  -  Destellos
9. Mala Mujer  -  Ranil Y Su Conjunto Tropical
10. Agua  -  Manzanita Y Su Conjunto
11. Para Elisa  -  Destellos
12. Ya Se Ha Muerto Mi Abuelo  -  Juaneco y Su Combo

Disc 2

13. Colegiala  -  Los Ilusionistas
14. El Guapo  -  Diablos Rojos
15. El Hueleguiso  -  Manzanita Y Su Conjunto
16. Vacilando Con Ayahuasca  -  Juaneco y Su Combo
17. Linda Mu¿¿equita  -  Hijos del Sol
18. Como Un Ave  -  Grupo Celeste
19. Constelaci¿¿n  -  Destellos
20. La Danza Del Petrolero  -  Los Wemblers De Iquitos
21. A Trabajar  -  Chacalon y la Nueva Crema
22. El Aguajal  -  Los Shapis
23. La Danza De Los Mirlos  -  Mirlos

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Los Diablos Rojos   Primary Artist
Juaneco y Su Combo   Primary Artist
Eusebio y Su Banjo   Primary Artist
Los Mirlos   Primary Artist
Los Destellos   Primary Artist
Los Hijos del Sol   Primary Artist
Los Riberenos   Primary Artist
Los Ilusionistas   Primary Artist
Los Wemblers De Iquitos   Primary Artist
Los Shapis   Primary Artist
Compay Quinto   Primary Artist
Ranil Y Su Conjunto Tropical   Primary Artist
Chacalon y la Nueva Crema   Primary Artist
Grupo Celeste   Primary Artist
Manzanita Y Su Conjunto   Primary Artist
Enrique Delgado   Guitar
Juan Wong Paredes   Keyboards
Eusebio Perez   Banjo,Vocals
Noe Fachin   Guitar
Wilindoro Cacique    Vocals
Danny Johnston   Guitar
Angel Anibal Rosado   Vocals
Marino Valencia   Guitar

Technical Credits

Humberto Caycho Alcantara   Composer
Enrique Delgado   Composer
Juan Wong Paredes   Composer
Eusebio Perez   Composer
Noe Fachin   Composer
Tomas Felix Rebata Acevedo   Composer
Johnny Mara   Composer
Carlos Rodriguez   Composer
Los Hijos del Sol   Group
Scott Hull   Mastering,Remastering
Los Destellos   Group
Los Mirlos   Group
Ludwig van Beethoven   Composer
Olivier Conan   Liner Notes
Eusebio y Su Banjo   Group
Juaneco y Su Combo   Group
Los Diablos Rojos   Group
Angel Anibal Rosado   Composer
Tommy Acevedo   Composer
Marino Valencia   Composer
Gilberto Reategui   Composer
Enrique "Larry" Delgado   Composer
Sebastian Jose Alvarez   Design