Music Review: Various Artists -The Roots Of Chicha Psychedelic Cumias From Peru - Page 2

In spite of the fact that the music had a wonderful sound and was eminently danceable, it somehow never gained widespread popularity in this its initial stage of development. Part of the problem was due to class and probably race, as the musicians in the original bands were not only poor workers, a great many of them were indigenous as well. But, thanks to the release of The Roots O Chicha: Psychedelic Cumbias From Peru on Barbes Records from Brooklyn New York that might begin to change.

Oliver Conan, the owner of Barbes Records, took a trip to Peru where he went to considerable time and effort to unearth original recordings by six bands from the heyday of the period; Lose Miros; Juaneco y Su Combo; Los Hijos del Sol; Les Destellos; Los Diablos Rojos; and Eusebio y Su Banjo.

He was so impressed by the music that he heard that he has not only put together this album, he has created a tribute band to try and generate enough interest in the bands to assist the survivors in comeback attempts (The completely indigenous band Juaneco y Su Combe saw most of it's member killed in a plane crash in 1976)

I have to admit the when I first began to listen to the tunes it was hard not to giggle, some of it sounded so silly. The juxtaposition of electric organ with the melodic vocals and scratch rhythms of Latin American music was very strange on "Linda Nena" by Juanec y Su Combo. Then there was the Los Destelios' song "A Patricia." With its two lead guitars, one doing surf music jangles and the second played through a wah-wah pedal, overtop a very Latin sounding percussion sound, I was struggling to rationalize a point to the music.

But gradually the music began to work a kind of magic on me, and I gave up trying to think about it and just began to enjoy what I was listening to. So by the time Juaneco y Su Combo was playing their second track of the disc "Ya se ha muerto mi Abuelo" I was able to enjoy the music for what it was – a celebration of life and music

Article Author: Richard Marcus

Richard Marcus is the author of the forthcoming book What Will Happen In Eragon IV? and has had his work published in print and on line all over the world. The not so long-haired Canadian iconoclast writes reviews and opines on the world as he sees …

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