Trujillo, Perú 1971-1974

Somewhere along the way cumbia has become the term used to describe Latin America’s golden age of tropical, danceable music, which is especially the case when it comes to Peruvian cumbia. Which is a shame, as it obscures what was often a heterogeneous music scene, as is made clear on this compilation.

Collecting together tracks made by guitarist Berardo Hernández (aka Manzanita) and his group in the early 70s, there are a couple of cumbias included, but unlike their contemporaries Los Destellos, Manzanita y Su Conjunto were more focused on the Cuban sounds of guaracha and descarga. Opener ‘Shambar’ is the finest endorsement of Manzanita’s clean, restless guitar style, but it’s for the audacious horn arrangement that it stands out, and where the Cuban influence is felt. ‘No Me Marchare’ is just as thrilling, breaking up the usual Peruvian cumbia to-and-fro between guitar and organ to spin off into unexpected brass-led detours. The frenzied percussion of descarga ‘Manzaneando’, and the Andean lament of ‘Mama Ocllo’ with its flourishes of funky horns, show how Manzanita and his combo were taking their cues from across Peru, Colombia, Cuba and even New York on the boogaloo ‘El Norteño’, and rarely failing to hit the sweet spot.