Echo en México

In 1970s Peru, the cumbia beat from Colombia was given a psychedelic makeover thanks to raw electric guitars and Farfisa organs, and re-christened chicha. It has gone international over the past few years, with chicha groups popping up in London, New York and Australia. The newest arrival on the scene are Money Chicha from Austin, Texas. Rather than fuse chicha with other styles – Latin or otherwise – as some of the other groups have done, Money Chicha instead largely opt to give the original sound extra punch and a retro refit. Original new compositions like ‘Quieren Efectos’ and ‘Echo en Mexico’ are as authentic-sounding as you like, full of twisted guitar lines, syncopated percussion and groovy-as-hell bass lines. The key to good chicha is to let the rhythm simmer, never push the beat too hard, and Money Chicha have this nailed, offering a masterclass on the effects-laden ‘Cumbia del Tamborcito’. Present on all tracks are the same fuzz-guitar effects and vintage organ sounds as their 70s counterparts, but here everything sounds warmer, largely thanks to the wonders of modern production methods. If Daptone Records released cumbia rather than gritty soul, then surely it would sound like this.