Back to the roots of psychedelic cumbia from Peru

Back to the roots
of psychedelic cumbia from Peru
They come from the legendary bands of Peruvian Cumbia Los Hijos del Sol, Los Diablos Rojos, Los Destellos, Los Girasoles,
Los Beta 5 and Los Ribereños - and, after 40 years, they
meet again to play together the music they participated in
creating. Cumbia All Stars - a new band from the very heart
of a rich musical tradition.
A product of the effervescent environment of a decade of rediscovered
freedoms, psychedelia in Peru planted its roots in the late 1960s in the
suburbs of Lima among the children of immigrants and in the remote
cities of the Amazonia, spawning a musical genre that is now an
integral part of the Peruvian identity: Cumbia Huaracha, Psychedelic
Cumbia, Amazonian Cumbia or simply, Peruvian Cumbia.
Cumbia All Stars is a journey in search of that original sound - of
delirious melodies with bold, resonant guitar lines and jerky beats.
Displaying the same youthful energy as in days gone by, disdainful of
the ravages of time, Cumbia All Stars takes us to the roots of Cumbia,
majestically reinvigorating some golden oldies whilst innovating new
tunes that remain loyal to the origins of the music.
The 8 members of Cumbia All Stars started their musical
careers as pioneers in Peruvian Cumbia.
Lead singer Lucho Carrillo juggled between various bands such as
Papo y su Combo, el Gran Loyo, Los Ratones, and Los Beta 5 before
joining Los Diablos Rojos, an iconic group of Peruvian Cumbia, in
which several of the Cumbia All Stars have participated. Lucho Reyes
was responsible for the unforgettable melodies of Los Topacios and
Los Diablos Rojos before becoming Cumbia All Stars’ lead guitarist.
Anibal « Chapi » Aliaga, the band’s second guitar, started his career in
1969 with Los Ribereños, before joining several other Cumbia bands.
Manuel Pecho started as the second guitarist in Los Beta 5 at the end
of the 60’s before switching to the bass, the instrument that made his
40 year career, notably in Los Diablos Rojos and Rossy War.
The four percussionists in the band are essential to the caracterstic
swing of Peruvian Cumbia. The congas player Ernesto “Sanguito”
Cadena started his career in a legendary group named Los Dandys
and later integrated into Los Girasoles, while timbales player Quique
Yllescas played percussion in Los Ribereños and Los Piñonates. Héctor
“Chiquito” Mattos, the bongo player, and the drummer Dante Reyes
were part of Los Hijos del Sol, the famous creators of «Cariñito», and
many other Cumbia bands from the beginning of the 70’s until now.
FIRST ALBUM
RELEASED in JUNE 2014 with
In their first album, Cumbia All Stars play with the delirious melodies
of the biggest standards of peruvian Cumbia such as Quiero que
Amanezca, La Primavera Triste, Lamento en la Selva or La Tamborera.
The sound of bold guitars also vibrates on three new compositions:
Caballito de Siete Colores, La Cumbia del Parisino and La Cumbia de la
Noche, renewing the genre while staying faithful to the jearky beats of
this musical tradition.
Tigres en Fuga is an invitation to rediscover forgotten musical treasures,
with an innovative swing that bewitches young and old alike.
The album is available on Itunes and Qobuz
TOURS
With more than two years of existence, Cumbia All Stars travelled
to most of european capitals, as well as countries such as Morocco.
In 2013, they did two different tours, getting to play in important
festivals just like: Wasser Musik Festival (DE), Polé Polé Festival (BE),
Amsterdam Roots Festival, Pirineos Sur (SP). In octuber, they got
invited to one of the most important World Music Fair Trade: WOMEX.
During summer of 2014, they promoted their first album across the
Old Continent, in great festival such as Paleo Festival (SW), Sunsplash
Festival (AUS), Shambala festival (UK), Festival Nuits du Sud (FR)
playing along with famous artists from the world musical scene.
In 2015, the band will keep going on spreading Peruvian cumbia
worldwide, starting in Brasil with Porto Musical Festival (Recife) in
February. The 4th return trip to Europ is scheduled in June, before
landing to Canada for the first time in July! Finally, they will cross over
the USA, opening new territories to the peruvian cumbia repertory of
the Cumbia All Stars.
c Olivier Hoffschir
PRESS Book
FROOTS (UK)
IT’S JUNGLE CUMBIA FEVER. Cumbia. All. Stars. Put those words together and what’s not to like?
The ‘old boys’ responsable for this particular brand of sizzling sonic sunshine make up the last word in
Cumbia in Peru. And everywhere else, I’m saying. With a combined age of eight million and ninetytwo (just guessing), this stomping supergroup have just released their debut album, Los Tigres en Fuga
(World Village), redifining the irrestibile psychedelic/ surf guitar/ Latin beat music they each helped
create during the heady days of ‘60s and ‘70s Lima.
LES INROCKS (FR)
Depuis la formidable aventure du Buena Vista Social Club, on sait que les pépés ne se réunissent pas
seulement pour jouer à la belote : s’ils chantent encore, leurs airs auront la souplesse et la saveur des
meilleurs crus. C’est le cas du Cumbia All Stars, formation où officient huit vétérans du psychédélisme
péruvien bardés de guitares électriques et de percussions. Connaissant parfaitement, pour les avoir mille
fois empruntés, les sentiers de la cumbia d’Amazonie, ils font parler la poudre dans un Tigres en Fuga à
la démesure tranquille, piment d’hallucinations hédonistes et de bringues apaisées.
SOUNDS AND COLORS (UK)
At first listen, it is so striking that it seems like a debut. Tigres en Fuga sounds fresh, vigorous and resonant, spreading incessant and pulsating
rhythms for the entirety of the album’s 40 minutes. But then, when you look at the identity of its creators, at their CVs and all-encompassing
careers, you discover a whole new world.
THE GUARDIAN (UK)
Drawn from bands from cumbia’s 70s glory years, the All Stars are Peru’s own Buena Vista, reprising old hits with a still deft touch. The
intricate melody lines of their shimmering Fender guitars, intertwined with clattering Latin percussion, remain a mesmeric force, whether on
instrumentals such as Lobos al Escape, or on whooping vocal numbers such as La Primavera Triste. Forget the pan-pipe cliches - Amazonian
psychedelia strikes back!
COSAS (PERU)
Al poco tiempo, la música empieza, y los Cumbia All Stars se convierten en fieras dispuestas a jugar con los corazones, moviéndolos con un
ritmo endemoniado, a golpe de timbal, con la potencia del bajo, y la guitarra que hace un solo cristalino y celestial.
VIDEOS AND RADIOS
CLIP - QUIERO QUE AMANEZCA
AMPLIFICADO TV
Video: La Danza de los Mirlos
RFI (FR)
Radio show «La bande passante» : live session with Cumbia All Stars
BBC RADIO 3 (GB)
Radio show World on 3: interview with Cumbia All Stars
LIVE
Festival Nuits du Sud, France, 2014 - Silbando / Don José
LIVE
Paléo Festival, Switzerland, 2014 - Cariñito
www.cumbiaallstars.org / [email protected] / [email protected]