This first-ever Chicha compilation to be released outside of Peru has become a cult favorite around the world! Born in the Peruvian Amazon in the late '60s, Chicha is a psychedelic mix of Cumbia rhythms, Cuban Guajira... more », and Andean melodies played with surf guitars, Farfisa organs, and Moog synthesizers.« less
This first-ever Chicha compilation to be released outside of Peru has become a cult favorite around the world! Born in the Peruvian Amazon in the late '60s, Chicha is a psychedelic mix of Cumbia rhythms, Cuban Guajira, and Andean melodies played with surf guitars, Farfisa organs, and Moog synthesizers.
Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com | ...in Middle America | 10/21/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This collection mines a style of music that, by the compiler's own admission, has never had much of a following outside of the poor barrios of Peru, where it first emerged in the late 1960s. "Chicha" is a Peruvian variant on Columbian cumbia, in which manic accordions are replaced by gritty electric guitars, and the tempo is kept relatively slow. The style evolved from the introduction of cheap, loud, portable modern instruments such as the Farfisa organ and electric guitars, which lent the sound of yanqui rock to local scenes, but were also easily adapted to local styles. The tracks on this album were all recorded between 1966-78, when rock-flavored experimentation was exploding across South America. Like cumbia, this was party music, made for people to dance to, and although it was frowned on by urban sophisticates and never made it beyond a limited regional influence, the good-timey vibe persists, all these decades later. Put it on, crank it up and you'll find yourself tapping your toes and wiggling your hips in no time at all... (DJ Joe Sixpack)"
Retro Sounds from Peru
BennyG | New york, NY United States | 12/15/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"While the cumbia originated in Columbia, today variations of cumbia have been adopted all over Latin America - from Argentina in the South to Mexico in the North. This collection of Peruvian Cumbia has a unique and somewhat grungy/psychedelic sound. The music feels experimental and somewhat unformed, similar to the Cuban music performed by early West African pop bands of the same period.
If you enjoy these chicha selections, also recommended is an excellent compilation roots bachata from the Dominican Republic:
Bachata Roja: Acoustic Bachata From the Cabaret Era
And you'll find striking similarities between Chicha and the psychedelic guitar vibes of this Senegalese 1970s live Baobob recording: N'Wolof
"
Can't Keep from Dancing
D. Bragin | Brooklyn, NY | 11/25/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Columbian Cumbias, recreated by urban Peruvian Bands, great lively music collected by the owner of one of the hippest bars in Brooklyn, who has also formed a group to perform this music, and has put out this disc on his own label.
For anyone into dancing, and contemporary Andean music this is a great find, and kudos again to Amazon for making it so easy to find this fairly obscure disc."
Resonates with a vibrant originality
Midwest Book Review | Oregon, WI USA | 11/04/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Roots of Chicha: Psychedelic Cumbias from Peru is an album of "cumbias amazonicas", a fusion of Peru's indigenous melodies, Colombia's cumbia rhythm, rock and roll organ-playing, and surf rock wah-wah pedals. The resulting music has become an audible symbol for the indigenous population's transition to urban living, and resonates with a vibrant originality. The Roots of Chicha showcases tracks by six different bands: Los Mirlos, Juaneco y Su Combo, Los Hijos del Sol, Los Destellos, Los Diablos Rojos, and Eusebio y Su Banjo. The thriving beat of the album, reminiscent of Jamaican Ska or Congolese Soukous, is sure to capture the pulse and spirit of the listener. The tracks are Sonido Amazonico (2:35), Linda Nena (3:45), Carinito (4:05), A Patricia (3:14), Sacalo Sacalo (3:04), Ya se ha muerto mi Abuelo (4:09), El Milagro Verde (2:43), Para Elisa (2:46), Linda Munequita (4:44), Muchachita del Oriente (3:19), Elsa (3:38), Vacilando con Ayahuesca (3:31), El Guapo (3:23), Mi Morena Rebelde (3:21), Si Me Quieres (3:09), Me Robaron mi Runa Mula (3:07), and La Danza de Los Mirlos (2:49). Highly recommended for public library and ethnic music collections."