TITLE: The Rough Guide To Psychedelic Cumbia
LABEL: World Music Network
Here’s a nicely curated compilation that weaves together several threads from the current worldwide cumbia revival. No surprise: Pablo (DJ Bongohead) Iglesias is the selector here, which almost always means a quality product. Chicha, Peru’s unique psychedelic cumbia fusion, is represented by the first five tracks, none of which can be found on any of the major previous chicha comps – 2, 4 and 5 are excellent examples of the style, all of them sounding like they’re straight outta the selva. A particularly nice touch here is that fully half the release is devoted to excellent, deep contemporary tracks. Track 9 is by Mexico City’s Sonido Gallo Negro, one of the world’s best chicha revival bands; 12 by New York’s similar Chicha Libre, is an Andean cover of Arthur Lee’s Love. The electronica side is well represented by 14 by Sonido De La Frontera, a new group from San Diego. And 13 is perhaps the biggest revelation here: an epic jam by another NYC band, M.A.K.U. SoundSystem. Where have these guys been hiding? This one goes on the shelf with the best chicha and cumbia compilations, a shelf that gets longer every year.
TOP TRACKS: 2 4 5 9 12 13 14
ALSO RECOMMENDED: 1 3 6 7 8 10 11 15 18
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