Country : Peru Label : Rebel Up Genres and styles : chicha / Cumbia / latino Year : 2022

Chicha Popular: Love & Social Political Songs from Peru’s Discos Horoscopo 1977 -1987

· by Rupert Bottenberg

Episodes of mass urban migration have historically given birth to major new musical forms, the most obvious example being the Great Migration of southern American Black folks a century ago, spreading the blues far and wide, and setting the stage for the rock and soul movements. Peru had its own dramatic time of change in the late ’60s, as Andean villagers flooded the cities of the lowlands, particularly the oil towns of the Amazon, in search of work. The result was a spectacularly rewarding cultural collision as the proletarian highlanders brought with them their traditional huayno folk music, and mixed it up with Colombia’s easygoing cumbia (the Latin answer to reggae, if you wish), and also the surf and psych-rock sounds coming to the fore the world over, with twangy guitar and groovy Farfisa organ galore. The new Peruvian style was christened chicha, taking its name from the notorious, purple-coloured corn liquor enjoyed in the region since Incan times.

As one might guess from such nomenclature, chicha was primarily party music, and sure enough, the first half of this excellent compilation’s two dozen tracks lean in a romantic direction. This was nonetheless working-class music, and from a place and time of great instability. Founded in 1977 by Lima entrepreneur and music lover Juan Campos Muñoz, the Discos Horoscopo label had its finger on the pulse of Peru, musically but also politically. As song titles like “Clase Social” and “Pobre Cada Dia Mas Pobre” (“poorer every day”) suggest, the chicheros bearing the Horoscopo imprint weren’t shy to share their economic grievances, with a fierce rolling of their Rs. A number of the musicians and bands here achieved something close to superstar status at home, and some, such as Los Shapis, are still active. On the subject of Los Shapis, those quick enough to order one of the first 150 vinyl versions of this release will enjoy a bonus seven-inch pairing the band with singer Nohemi, chicha’s first female vocalist, sometimes called “the Kate Bush of the Andes.”

Latest 360 Content

Transforming Hiroshima mon amour into contemporary opera: Christian Lapointe and Rosa Lind tell the story

Transforming Hiroshima mon amour into contemporary opera: Christian Lapointe and Rosa Lind tell the story

Sparks – MAD!

Sparks – MAD!

“Hiroshima, mon amour”: An Evening to Remember

“Hiroshima, mon amour”: An Evening to Remember

Peter Murphy – Silver Shade

Peter Murphy – Silver Shade

Ken Pomeroy – Cruel World

Ken Pomeroy – Cruel World

Art of the Line: Klangkarussell’s Euro Vision at SAT

Art of the Line: Klangkarussell’s Euro Vision at SAT

Festival des Saveurs | Closing With Reggae

Festival des Saveurs | Closing With Reggae

Centroamérica – a powerful docu-play about truth and connection in an age of distance and denial

Centroamérica – a powerful docu-play about truth and connection in an age of distance and denial

Lido Pimienta – La Belleza

Lido Pimienta – La Belleza

Tamir Barzilay – Phosphene Journal

Tamir Barzilay – Phosphene Journal

The best ‘’Candlelight concert‘’ ever.

The best ‘’Candlelight concert‘’ ever.

Men I Trust – Equus Caballus

Men I Trust – Equus Caballus

The Halluci Nation – Path of the Baby Face

The Halluci Nation – Path of the Baby Face

A lap steel guitar choir and an angel to end the Innovations en concert 24-25 season

A lap steel guitar choir and an angel to end the Innovations en concert 24-25 season

The OSM and Abel Selaocoe: Evenings When You’d Like to Stop Time

The OSM and Abel Selaocoe: Evenings When You’d Like to Stop Time

Reaching for the sky: Francis Choinière’s challenge to end his OPCM’s 10th season

Reaching for the sky: Francis Choinière’s challenge to end his OPCM’s 10th season

Piknic 3: A Little Bit of Everything Under the Sun

Piknic 3: A Little Bit of Everything Under the Sun

Cazzu – Latinaje

Cazzu – Latinaje

Stereolab – Instant Holograms On Metal Film

Stereolab – Instant Holograms On Metal Film

SMCQ | In memoriam Jocelyn Morlock

SMCQ | In memoriam Jocelyn Morlock

Abbey Road at Festival Classica

Abbey Road at Festival Classica

Mira Choquette – Hier encore

Mira Choquette – Hier encore

Jared Dunn; Anna Gorecka – Gorecki’s World of the Piano

Jared Dunn; Anna Gorecka – Gorecki’s World of the Piano

Subscribe to our newsletter