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

FIRE! Orchestra at FIMAV: Power Trio Meets Canadian Community of Avant-Garde Players

FIRE! Orchestra at FIMAV: Power Trio Meets Canadian Community of Avant-Garde Players

Blondshell – If You Asked For a Picture

Blondshell – If You Asked For a Picture

Hitting a Fever Pitch at the Ribbon Skirt LP Launch 

Hitting a Fever Pitch at the Ribbon Skirt LP Launch 

Wu-Tang Clan & Mathematics – Black Samson, the Bastard Swordsman.

Wu-Tang Clan & Mathematics – Black Samson, the Bastard Swordsman.

Dalit Hadass Warshaw, Boston Modern Orchestra Project / Gil Rose – Sirens

Dalit Hadass Warshaw, Boston Modern Orchestra Project / Gil Rose – Sirens

Howard Shore/Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France – Shore : Anthology

Howard Shore/Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France – Shore : Anthology

Quatuor Diotima – Boulez : Livre pour quatuor

Quatuor Diotima – Boulez : Livre pour quatuor

LMNL – Rainbow

LMNL – Rainbow

Strat Andriotis – Exits

Strat Andriotis – Exits

Richard Reed Parry – The Actor

Richard Reed Parry – The Actor

Tamara Stefanovich – Organised Delirium

Tamara Stefanovich – Organised Delirium

Galan Trio – Embrace

Galan Trio – Embrace

Jack Van Zandt – A Chaos of Light and Motion

Jack Van Zandt – A Chaos of Light and Motion

Tommy Crane – Reality Curated: Live at Ursa

Tommy Crane – Reality Curated: Live at Ursa

Thomas DeLio – Anti-paysage

Thomas DeLio – Anti-paysage

No Hay Banda – Steven Kazuo Takasugi : Il Teatro Rosso

No Hay Banda – Steven Kazuo Takasugi : Il Teatro Rosso

Vancouver Contemporary Orchestra; Vancouver Chamber Choir – Christopher Tyler Nickel : Mass; Te Deum

Vancouver Contemporary Orchestra; Vancouver Chamber Choir – Christopher Tyler Nickel : Mass; Te Deum

Hypercube – The Force for Good

Hypercube – The Force for Good

PUP – Who Will Look After the Dogs?

PUP – Who Will Look After the Dogs?

Duo AYA – Cycles

Duo AYA – Cycles

Papillon Social Club – Dur de la feuille

Papillon Social Club – Dur de la feuille

Coalescent Quartet – The Wall Between Us

Coalescent Quartet – The Wall Between Us

Samuel Bonnet Trio – Live in Harmony

Samuel Bonnet Trio – Live in Harmony

Subscribe to our newsletter