Sendero Místico

Bands such as Chicha Libre and Los Chinches have already shown that chicha – essentially cumbia with guitars – sounds great when played slow with plenty of nods to Sergio Leone soundtracks and oddball 60s pop productions, and Mexico's Sonido Gallo Negro continue the trend. Tracks like ‘El Ventarron’ and ‘Alfonsa Grana (Selvatica)’ are closest to the classic Peruvian chicha of the 70s; insistent grooves with a distinctive rhythm, built around guitar lines that, just like Clint Eastwood in those Sergio Leone films, move in their own good time. The group are at their best when embellishing their sound with Andean melodies and fuzz guitar, as on ‘Valicha’ and ‘Inca-A-Delic’. But they let themselves down with some of the more kitsch numbers: ‘Serenata Guajira’ sounds like the theme tune to a bad 70s spy TV show. What made those early chicha bands so special was how each group was able to stamp their own identity on the style. Here, Sonido Gallo Negro prove they are a competent group that can make an authentic sound as ragged and groovy as any chicha you will hear anywhere. But fail to add any of themselves to the mix, making for an enjoyable, though ultimately forgettable, experience.