Cumbia Week in Los Angeles
September 20-27
September 20-27
Cumbia, one of Latin America’s most prominent folklore musical traditions, is on full display in Los Angeles this fall. A rhythm born on the Colombian coast over a century ago with the intersection of African, indigenous and European settler roots, has grown to be one of the most popular rhythms in the world. Celebrating the past, present and future of Cumbia music, with elements of pop, folklore, punk, electronic and the avant-garde, this one-of-a-kind week of activities showcases the depth and innovation of artists from Colombia, Mexico, El Salvador and Los Angeles.
The week of September 20, 2024, to September 27, 2024, will be vibrant in Los Angeles as it will be marked by a series of Cumbia events presented by Cumbiatón, LA Phil, misterpsychedelia, and ZZK Records. These events aim to celebrate and showcase the rich cultural influence, origins, and continued reinvention of Cumbia music. This collaboration highlights the genre's deep roots and its ongoing evolution, bringing together different communities through music and dance.
Websites:
Program Components
Event Name: Cumbia Week in Los Angeles
Event Type: Music and art exhibit with a workshop, panels, and music celebrations
Locations:
Consulate General of Mexico in Los Angeles
2401 W 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90057
Teragram Ballroom 1234 W 7th St, Los Angeles, CA 90017
The Ford 2580 Cahuenga Blvd E, Los Angeles, CA 90068
The Hollywood Bowl 2301 Highland Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90068
Event Dates:
Friday September 20 - Opening Show of Reina de Cumbia - Frente Cumbiero & Very Be Careful with El G and misterpsychedelia at The Teragram Ballroom LINK
Saturday September 21 - Noche de Cumbia - Son Rompe Pera, Reyna Tropical, and Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto Produced in partnership with Cumbiatón LA at The Ford LINK
Sunday September 22 - Noche de Cumbia - Grupo Cañaveral, La Sonora Dinamita, Los Hermanos Flores, Cumbiatón, KCRW Festival at The Hollywood Bowl LINK
Monday September 23 - Opening of Exhibition - Marimba Workshop with Son Rompe Pera + Mario Galeano (Frente Cumbiero) Keynote Presentation at Consulate General of Mexico in Los Angeles LINK
Wednesday September 25 - Exhibition Open - Documentary showings “Yo No Soy Guapo” by Joyce Garcia and “Sonidero Metropolis” by Alvaro Parra with Q&A at Consulate General of Mexico in Los Angeles LINK
Thursday September 26 - Closing Reception + Panel Discussion with Daniel Hernandez (Moderator), Immanuel Miralda aka Amantes del Futuro, Carlos Icaza aka Tropicaza, Mirjam Wirz, Pablo Alejandro Becerril aka Pablito Mix at Consulate General of Mexico in Los Angeles LINK
Friday September 27 - Closing Party - Cumbiateca Pablito Mix (CDMX), Amantes del Futuro (CDMX), Tropicaza (CDMX), Benny Jets (LA), Wyldeflower (LA) and Sonido Sapo (LA) at venue TBA DOS LINK
Cumbia Week in Los Angeles Components
Reina de Cumbia Opening Show - Frente Cumbiero & Very Be Careful
With a long and successful career, Frente Cumbiero has become one of the biggest representatives in the exploration of cumbia’s sonic identity in Latin America. Headed by Colombian songwriter and producer Mario Galeano Toro (also founding member of Ondatrópica and Los Pirañas), Frente Cumbiero is recognized as a spearhead of Colombia’s new cumbia movement. Los Angeles Vallenato Veteranos Very Be Careful and LA DJs El G & misterpsychedelia will be supporting.
Noche de Cumbia at The Ford
Cumbiatón LA back for its second Noche de Cumbia at The Ford. The program offers a musical and visual exploration of the origins of the beloved Afro-Indigenous sounds we know as Cumbia. An all-star lineup featuring Son Rompe Pera (Mexico), Reyna Tropical (U.S.), and Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto (Colombia) performs with support from Cumbiatón DJs as well as traditional and contemporary Cumbia dancers from the U.S. and Mexico. This unforgettable night welcomes Los Angeles communities to share in the diversity, beauty, and resilience embodied in Cumbia through a musical and visual experience.
Noche de Cumbia at The Hollywood Bowl
In the mid-1960s, cumbia was a style of dance music that was gaining popularity in northern Colombia. Six decades later, it’s the beat behind some of the most popular songs on the planet. Built on a blend of sounds taken from indigenous, African, and Spanish music, its shuffling rhythm is flexible enough to power everything from big-band jazz to big-time pop. Get ready for a high-tempo party when three of the bands who helped turn cumbia into a worldwide phenomenon pop up for a stacked triple bill.
Since their founding in 1995, Grupo Cañaveral has established themselves one of Mexico’s most important cumbia groups, with a charismatic sound rooted in joy and Latin identity. They’ve brought traditional cumbia into conversation with the present, collaborating with artists from other genres and rearranging hit songs into cumbias. The Palmes de Oro award winners behind hits like “Tienes Espinas El Rosal,” “No Te Voy A Perdonar,” and “No Mientas Más” return to the Bowl for the first time since their thrilling 2017 performance.
Without La Sonora Dinamita, it’s possible cumbia never would have made it out of Colombia. The group formed in 1960 and spread the music across their home country. Then, after a breakup, they reformed in 1975 to bring the beat to the world. With a ten-piece brass section, the band has long been a showcase for male and female singers, and songs like “Mi Cucu,” “Maruja,” and “Cumbia de la Cadentia” have inspired younger performers for years—resulting in the 2021 collaborative album Transformando la Cumbia, recorded with Mon Laferte, Flor de Toloache, and more.
Los Hermanos Flores are, quite simply, the most famous and most sophisticated band in the history of El Salvador. Their blend of cumbia and jazz in the 1960s resulted in hits like “La Bala,” “La Enfermera,” and “La Secretaria,” making them hugely popular around the world and transformational for generations of musicians.
The powerhouse all-women DJ collective Cumbiatón keeps things energized between artists with a mix of Latin music that spans generations.
Reina de Cumbia Closing Party - Cumbiateca with Pablito Mix, Amantes del Futuro and more
Get ready for the ultimate Cumbia party! Join us for Reina de Cumbia week's finale at Cumbiateca - a night filled with Mexico City's top DJs and producers, along with LA's finest talents. Don't miss Un Pinche Rave Cumbiero en LA like you've never experienced before.
Pablito Mix (CDMX), Amantes del Futuro (CDMX), Tropicaza (CDMX), Benny Jets (LA), Wyldeflower (LA) and Sonido Sapo (LA) at venue TBA DOS
Art Exhibit
The art exhibit features a diverse array of multimedia artwork, offering a profound and expansive glimpse into the world of artists as they explore the vast universe of Cumbia music in CDMX. Additionally, the exhibit includes live interviews from the field and highlights key protagonists from the vibrant cumbia culture. Promising an immersive experience, the exhibit aims to transport visitors into the heart of Mexico City through its compelling audio and visual presentations.
Exhibition: Cumbia Constellation
This graphic installation will show the universe of cumbia in CDMX from the early days of experimentation till the present time.
A/V Installation: Cumbia Players
This A/V installation will feature interviews and footage of key protagonists from cumbia culture. Artists who have been essential in keeping the cumbia flame burning bright in Mexico for future generations.
Keynote Presentation: Cumbia is the Unifying Language of the Americas by Mario Galeano (Frente Cumbiero)
Mario Galeano, creator of Colombian band Frente Cumbiero, presents the past, present and future of cumbia – from a regional folk music on the intersection of indigenous peoples, African slaves and European settlers to a worldwide phenomenon permeating all four corners of the globe.
Workshop: The Mexican Marimba by Son Rompe Pera
From the outskirts of Mexico City, marimba misfits Son Rompe Pera delve into the story of the Mexican marimba and how their unique take on the instrument has taken stages by storm the world over. Brothers Kacho and Mongo Gama will demonstrate how they set up their marimba and play it in a way that has sparked new interest in an instrument that has been traveling through the Americas for over a century.
Documentary Screenings:
“Yo No Soy Guapo” by Joyce Garcia
Multicolor lights, panting and sweaty bodies, tight clothes, high heels and a cumbia sounds through the streets of the popular streets of Mexico City. The Sonideros (sound systems) began amusing the neighborhood's yards and then became the idols of the people. Since 2014, this tradition has been threatened by the prohibition of local government.
“Sonido Metropolis” by Alvaro Parra
"Sonidero Metropolis" is the first episode in a documentary series about Mexican sound system culture, also known as Sonideros. The Los Angeles episode explores the connection between the cumbia epicenter that is Puebla, Mexico and Los Angeles, California, a city where thousands of Poblanos now reside.
Q&A with Sonido Fantasma, Sonido Profeta and Alvaro Parra will follow screenings.
Panel: How Mexico City Became an Epicenter for Cumbia Production in the 21st Century
Led by journalist Daniel Hernandez, this unique panel discussion brings together protagonists of the Mexico City cumbia landscape and examines the origins and evolutions of one of the world’s most exciting and innovative musical cities. Join us for an intimate one-off discussion with leading experts and artists from Mexico and beyond.
Daniel Hernandez (Moderator) Immanuel Miralda aka Amantes del Futuro Carlos Icaza aka Tropicaza Mirjam Wirz Pablo Alejandro aka Pablito Mix
Reina de Cumbia Additional Program
Opening Cocktail
Closing Reception
Website
Cumbiatón
Cumbiatón is a cultural movement that uses music and art to heal and uplift communities, particularly marginalized, queer, and undocumented people. The movement's goal is to create a safe space for people to find community and release themselves through music. Cumbiatón incorporates beats from many genres, including cumbia, reggaeton, hip hop, salsa, merengue, and banda. Cumbiatón was founded in 2017 by DJ Sizzle Fantastic (Zacil Pech) and Norma Fajardo (Normz La Oaxaqueña) in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles. The movement has since expanded to other cities, including San Francisco, Seattle, and New York. Cumbiatón's vision is to center women, trans, and queer people of color in every aspect of the movement, including the dance floor, DJ booth, collective experiences, and events.
LA Phil
For over a century, the LA Phil has been as vibrant as Los Angeles, one of the world's most open and dynamic cities. Under the leadership of Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, it presents nearly 300 events per year, harnessing the transformative power of live music to build community, foster intellectual and artistic growth, and nurture the creative spirit, while redefining what an orchestra can be.
Misterpsychedelia
misterpsychedelia is a boutique creative agency with a passion for creating unforgettable experiences, helping tell your story to the world at large. We specialize in talent curation, event & tour management, video marketing, and production technology, offering our expertise in analytical business development through compelling storytelling to individuals, corporations, non-profits, and brands in the equity, arts, music, and culture sectors.
ZZK Culture
ZZK Culture is the newest branch of the multi-faceted and incessantly creative ZZK Records. ZZK Culture explores the intersection of education, entertainment and empowerment. We dig deep into the culture we represent, telling the untold stories of those who built the road we currently stand upon. Documentaries, installations, presentations, workshops, panels, dance floors and more, we bring the stories to life in a way only ZZK can.
ZZK Records
ZZK Records has spent more than a decade at the forefront of Latin music, carving out space for artists putting a futuristic (and often electronic) spin on classic rhythms and folklore traditions. Along the way, the label spread across the globe and helped launch a few stars—Nicola Cruz, Chancha Vía Circuito, La Yegros and Son Rompe Pera among them—but while the name ZZK is now likely familiar to just about anyone with a taste for forward-thinking Latin sounds, the crew’s origins were rooted in something much more humble: the desire to throw a great party.
Fiscal Sponsor for Reina de Cumbia CDMX21
About Dublab: dublab is a Los Angeles-based, community-supported internet radio station and creative collective dedicated to the growth of positive music, arts, and culture. Founded in 1999, dublab has been broadcasting since the “dot-com era” with the mission to share forward-thinking, freeform radio with an international audience. dublab’s programming has since expanded to include the production of original art exhibits, films, television, events, and community education projects as well as broadcast on affiliate stations in Germany, Japan, Spain, and Brazil.
Each month, dublab showcases over 180 radio shows from some of the world’s most talented DJs, musicians, journalists, and artists. Each show is distinct and entirely freeform: we take pride in empowering our DJs to freely play the music that best shares their individual story. Beyond broadcast, dublab produces and hosts several multimedia projects and exhibits each year, most often made possible by the support of public and foundation project grants. Through local events, international broadcasts, and collaborative multimedia projects, dublab has helped define and connect the next wave of arts, music, and culture across the Los Angeles and international communities.
LA Phil, The Ford and Cumbiatón Sponsors
KCRW, Metro, Latino Cultural Center