cumbia planet
If, in 1940, somebody had said that the music which was only to be heard in the most humble bars and dance halls in Columbia would one day conquer the world, he or she would have been laughed out of town. But it was in that decade that Cumbia started to spread like a virus, silent and taking everybody with it. And the Cumbia virus, in new countries, has developed even more contagious strains: Argentinian Cumbia, Chilean Cumbia, Bolivian Cumbia, Santo Domingo Cumbia, Mexican Cumbia, Ecuador Cumbia, Peruvian Cumbia, Venezuelan Cumbia, Uruguayan Cumbia, and the new strains aren’t just geographical, there are other mutations too: Villera Cumbia, Technocumbia, Sonidera Cumbia, Dance Cumbia, Hop Cumbia, Reggae Cumbia...
The origins of Cumbia, like many types of music, are the combination of indigenous American music and the African rhythms which the slaves brought with them. Over time, it was also influenced by Spanish music and new instruments were added. The ability to take in new types of music and adapt to them is in Cumbia’s DNA. No musical styles adapts better to new times and styles. The origins of the name Cumbia, on the other hand, are not so clear. Some researchers believe that cumbé may be derived from words meaning “the blacks’ dance”. Other people say that Cumbagu was the name of an indigenous chief who was very keen on dancing and, in general, having a good time. And then others say that kumba, kumbe and kumbi were words meaning ‘drum’ and were adapted into Spanish as cumbia. But the main thing about Cumbia is that it can’t be defined. Cumbia’s incredibly good at influencing and being influenced. Cumbia’s not obsessed with “purity” in the way that some other types of music are.
Cumbia knows that music, right from the start, has always been the result of mixing things together. Maybe it’s because of its lack of prejudice that it becomes the music of the working classes wherever it arrives. Wherever Cumbia goes it takes on the local sounds and, without any scruples, incorporates them. In the 60’s it became very popular in workers’ and immigrants’ districts. There is became the now very popular Cumbia Villera. Singers like Mona Rodriguez get thousands of people up and dancing at the dance halls on the city outskirts. In Mexico they added the organ and electronic percussion to it and the results, on the one hand, are Technocumbia, mixed in the studio and, on the other hand, Cumbia Sonidera, as well Cumbia Grupera, a very danceable variant which is played in concerts and at dances. In Peru, Cumbia developed in a very special way. During the Cumbia Explosion, in the 60’s, rock’n’roll was very popular in Peru and, because of that, Cumbia Andina is heavily influenced by electric guitars and rock’n’roll rhythms. The Golden Age of Cumbia lasted from the 60’s to the 80’s. New media and globalisation led to music in English taking over the whole of Latin America. But that did not mean that Cumbia was forgotten. As we’ve said, Cumbia’s incredibly good at adapting and, thanks to that, it’s alive and well right now, at the start of the 21st Century. In the birthplace of Cumbia, Columbia, a group called Bonba Estereo has been successful all over the world mixing Cumbia, Elektronica, Reggae and Rap; Puerto Rico’s famous Calle 13 mixes Columbian Cumbia and Cumbia Villera sounds in its mutant music; in England, Los Chinches’ danceable music has stirred things up; Los Peyotes’s former guitar player Rolando Bruno and his Orquesta Midi make fun Garage-Cumbia-60’s music; the Argentinian girls in Las Taradas mix Cumbia and Swing. The Argentinians Los Olestar make fast, sharp Punk Cumbia. There are many new ways of changing and adapting the style. We can’t mention everybody here, but we can’t leave out the variant which Joxe Ripiau’s tune and Mursego’s created with her voice and talent have created... Cumbia
villera de la ciudad armera.
The origins of Cumbia, like many types of music, are the combination of indigenous American music and the African rhythms which the slaves brought with them. Over time, it was also influenced by Spanish music and new instruments were added. The ability to take in new types of music and adapt to them is in Cumbia’s DNA. No musical styles adapts better to new times and styles. The origins of the name Cumbia, on the other hand, are not so clear. Some researchers believe that cumbé may be derived from words meaning “the blacks’ dance”. Other people say that Cumbagu was the name of an indigenous chief who was very keen on dancing and, in general, having a good time. And then others say that kumba, kumbe and kumbi were words meaning ‘drum’ and were adapted into Spanish as cumbia. But the main thing about Cumbia is that it can’t be defined. Cumbia’s incredibly good at influencing and being influenced. Cumbia’s not obsessed with “purity” in the way that some other types of music are.
Cumbia knows that music, right from the start, has always been the result of mixing things together. Maybe it’s because of its lack of prejudice that it becomes the music of the working classes wherever it arrives. Wherever Cumbia goes it takes on the local sounds and, without any scruples, incorporates them. In the 60’s it became very popular in workers’ and immigrants’ districts. There is became the now very popular Cumbia Villera. Singers like Mona Rodriguez get thousands of people up and dancing at the dance halls on the city outskirts. In Mexico they added the organ and electronic percussion to it and the results, on the one hand, are Technocumbia, mixed in the studio and, on the other hand, Cumbia Sonidera, as well Cumbia Grupera, a very danceable variant which is played in concerts and at dances. In Peru, Cumbia developed in a very special way. During the Cumbia Explosion, in the 60’s, rock’n’roll was very popular in Peru and, because of that, Cumbia Andina is heavily influenced by electric guitars and rock’n’roll rhythms. The Golden Age of Cumbia lasted from the 60’s to the 80’s. New media and globalisation led to music in English taking over the whole of Latin America. But that did not mean that Cumbia was forgotten. As we’ve said, Cumbia’s incredibly good at adapting and, thanks to that, it’s alive and well right now, at the start of the 21st Century. In the birthplace of Cumbia, Columbia, a group called Bonba Estereo has been successful all over the world mixing Cumbia, Elektronica, Reggae and Rap; Puerto Rico’s famous Calle 13 mixes Columbian Cumbia and Cumbia Villera sounds in its mutant music; in England, Los Chinches’ danceable music has stirred things up; Los Peyotes’s former guitar player Rolando Bruno and his Orquesta Midi make fun Garage-Cumbia-60’s music; the Argentinian girls in Las Taradas mix Cumbia and Swing. The Argentinians Los Olestar make fast, sharp Punk Cumbia. There are many new ways of changing and adapting the style. We can’t mention everybody here, but we can’t leave out the variant which Joxe Ripiau’s tune and Mursego’s created with her voice and talent have created... Cumbia
villera de la ciudad armera.
