In the golden era of Peru’s record and radio industry, musicians, composers and producers created their own variants of foreign-born genres, most frequently to satisfy and attract their dancing public (often defined by race/class divisions) with something they could recognize and call their own.
Peru has supplied hits for the world of salsa and cumbia time and time again. Several recent collections have featured the originals, and here for example we present the song that launched a hundred iterations, Johnny Arce’s ‘Macondo’. The up-tempo horns and rhythmic percussion drives through to Carlos Pickling Y Su Organo Espacial’s ‘Lluvia Con Nieve/El Molestoso’. The album cleverly winds down to final tracks ‘Serrano’ by Los Rumbaney and Los Mirlos’ ‘El Poder Verde’, still maintaining the charm derived from salsa, cumbia & jazz. All whilst adding those hints of that irresistible Peruvian flavour