VARIOUS ARTISTS
The Roots of Chicha: Psychedelic Cubmias from Peru
(Barbès)
During the late 1960s, Peruvian cumbia bands -- primarily working -- class musicians who embraced the sound (and dance) considered a “lower” art form by the upper classes -- began incorporating modern instruments and Northern rock and pop elements into their traditional music.
Lashing electric guitars, electronic keyboards (Farfisa organ, Moog synthesizers) onto the 4/4 cumbia meter resulted in the mutation chicha. The style even bends the cumbia, already borrowed from Colombia, deeper into indigenous, non-Western territory by using Andean pentatonic scales in the melodies.
Enough of that -- let’s generalize.
Chicha rhythms feel lopsided and uneven, like the downbeat is rolling from left to right across the hips. There’s no danger of these songs falling apart, but the percussive contents shift and roll like a loosely packed bag. The simple bass patterns box in the beats -- take it away and the songs would tumble out of control.
Atop this rides a swirl of guitars and keyboards. The rhythm guitars often get the wah-wah treatment, but lead guitars are usually cleanly amped, and picked in a style so that, even when things get really surf sounding (as with Los Hijos del Sol’s “Cariñito”) the Latin sound remains.
Los Diablos Rojos have an almost Cuban funk sound, while Los Destellos’ r&b/garage-rock style works in their favor by allowing bandleader/guitarist Enrique Delgado a chance to show off his six-string power. (His clever reworking of Beethoveen’s “Für Elise” -- here titled “Para Elisa” -- is a marvel.)
For all the talk about the addition of electronic keyboards, Juaneco y Su Combo’s leader Juan Wong Paredes makes best use of the tools. His leads in “Ya se ha muerto mi Abuelo” alone could justify the use of the term “psychedelic” in this collection’s subtitle.
As an aside, Paredes’ band played up the native aspect by wearing traditional Shipibo tribal clothing. (Fans of surf and garage bands please take a moment to note how many of the acts you admire perform in thematic costumes.)
Juaneco y Su Combo is also responsible for the one overtly salacious number on Roots of Chicha, “Vacilando con Ayauesca.” The Typing Monkey's grasp of Spanish was gleaned entirely from Sesame Street, so we’re not sure exactly what that woman is moaning about, but we think the whole thing is a dirty joke about the babysitter. Do with that speculation what you will.
Reference materials: If you like the Nuggets series or own more than one surf-rock record, take a chance with The Roots of Chicha.
