Iquitos – Amazonía – Perú

Through the 1970s Raul Llerena (aka Ranil) took his band up and down the Amazon from their base in Iquitos, Peru, playing fiestas till the early hours then sleeping on their boat until they reached the next destination. It was during these parties that his band honed their craft, playing twisted guitar lines anchored by a solid cumbia beat, then slowing things down with ballads and waltzes when the energy levels ebbed. It's mainly the upbeat numbers that are collected here on a selection of tracks that Ranil self-released on his own label – he's also an impresario and much-loved personality in Peru's Amazonian region.

What's striking is the variety of emotions they ring out of the cumbia rhythm, going from the swooning mid-tempo swagger of ‘Muévete Mi Amor’ to the primal ‘La Minga’ with hazy guitar lines, emotive squeals and whistles that evoke the sound of Amazonian fauna. On ‘Vuelo a Saturno’ things speed up to an unrestrained gallop with one of those questing lead guitar lines that were so prominent in the 60s – eat your heart out Joe Meek. It's a fascinating detour into what happens when a ubiquitous Latin rhythm finds its way deep into the Amazonian jungle.