The Roots of Chicha

The Roots of Chicha series is a passionate act of cultural appreciation and a desire to turn the world on its ear with something that it had never expected to hear. Barbes Records who originally released The Roots of Chica in 2007 have returned with a second volume in the series. The two albums take listers back to a time period between the 60's and 80's when a number of Peruvian guitarists from Lima and the Amazon created a new electric hybrid, which mixed cumbia, surf, Cuban Guaracha, rock, Peruvian folklore, and psychedelia. This new wave of Peruvian cumbia came to be known as Chicha. Scorned by the middle class and the official taste makers of the country, Chicha remained mostly associated with the slums of Lima, where the ever growing population of Andean migrants embraced the music and its players as their own.

The Roots of Chicha 2 is awesome stuff that picks up where the first volume left off and unburies, unearths, and discovers material that was recorded between 1968 and 1981 and essentially never heard outside of Peru. The album traces the progression of the genre from rough sketches and sounds to full on modern productions that more than likely were underground hits. The collection is a never ending source of amazement and wonder and constantly shows how even the basic outlines of rock and roll have spread all around the world and found ways to influence music of every kind. It's stunningly entertaining stuff.

While the cumbia rhythms are unmistakable and run through every song, the artists who are presented here surround those rhythms with all kinds of guitar work that borders on proper acid rock, blues, or just rock and roll. It's fascinating stuff that's a cultural adventure and a learning experience. Some songs on The Roots of Chicha 2 are pure dance anthems, Los Riberenos' "Silbando," for example. Others are more exploratory or even experimental, Los Illusionistas' "Colegiala," for instance is an experiment in sound. All in all, it's a massive sixteen track album that's so varied and so good that it's just about perfect in every way. I love the fact that Barbes Records have done us the favor and researched each of the artists and songs on this record thoroughly. It's a well thought out and well put together compilation that carries on the tradition set forward by the first volume. The Roots of Chicha 2 is a labor of love and you can hear that not only in each of the songs here but how the whole record is presented. This is an impressive collection that will open your mind to new sounds and new cultural experiences and that alone is worth the price of the disc. Truly proving music is a phenomenon that unites us all, The Roots of Chicha 2 is an essential release for anyone with a passing interest in world music.