Are You Into Digital Cumbia?

Sound Check

Are You Into Digital Cumbia?

by Monica Herrera | 03.02.2009 | 6:00pm | 4 Comments
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I can get down with salsa, merengue, bachata, samba, flamenco, duranguese...you name it! But cumbia? Ehhh.

I'm sorry if this offends you, but I have to be honest. To me, there's
just something very drone-like about cumbia, the Colombia-born sound
that's since morphed into what's known as digital cumbia—a
hipster-embraced subgenre that literally melds cumbia with electronic
music and reggaeton. This transformation—from the origins of cumbia to Selena's tecnocumbia
hit, "Como La Flor," and then to much of modern-day Mexican regional
music and Zizek's weekly cumbia DJ party in Buenos Aires—has been
fascinating to trace and all, but guess what? I still find the
genre even more repetitive than reggaeton, and even creepier when you
add all the synths and distortion. By the time I've listened to three
cumbia songs in a row, all I can think is, Make. It. Stop! 

But as digital cumbia keeps building its music geek fanbase, I find
myself wondering whether I'm missing something. There's even a blog
devoted to cumbia now called La Congona New Cumbia, where cumbia-aficionados report on all the latest new releases and up and coming artists. 

What is it about this sound that's got everyone so excited? I wish I
could tell you, but instead I'm asking you to help me answer that
question. Take a listen to "Pesebre," a new digital cumbia track by
Netherlands-based DJ (yes, you read that corrently) Sonido del Principe
that recently leaked on La Congona, and tell me: are you into cumbia,
or digital cumbia? Or like me, are you scratching your head and
wondering all the fuss is about? 

LISTEN: Sonido del Principe - Pesebre (via La Congona)  

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4 Comments
piero cespedes
06.05.2009
12:40pm
Cumbia is the music of the Future. Here in New York Que Bajo! parties are awesome. Is sad that most of the followers of this music are Blankitos, i dont know why, maybe 'cause We the Latinos aren't open mind. I love, i hear and i dance all kinds of music, but nothing compares to Cumbia, Cumbia Sonidera, Digital Cumbia, Chicha or Cumbias Experimentales. Monica i dont know where you live, but if one you are in New York, come to Que Bajo! parties and then you will experience what is it feel like when you are dancing this. Check out Toy Selectah former Control Machete.
arevarc
03.03.2009
8:04pm
Based on the musics you can "get down with" (salsa, etc.), it appears that on the dance floor you have a preference for faster, upbeat dance rhythms. I think the thing that cumbia brings to the dancefloor is entirely different, and not to everyone's liking. It is a music that is, let's say, primal, to put it mildly, because it originally derives from Colombia's indigenous and Afro-Colombian cultures. That is has attained "world music," "global pop," and "hipster" status is a testament to it's resilience and expansive aesthetics, which allow it to be manipulated, pushed and pulled in all sorts of directions, using all the technological and recording tools available. While I personally prefer to dance to traditional Colombian cumbias, I like the cutting edge experimentation that cumbia enables. Like reggae, it''s more of a "vibe" thing--if you can get into it, you will dig it! DJ JAM Check out my Colombian music radio show, La Pipa de la Paz, streaming on WESUFM.org, on Tuesday evenings at 5pm (EST).
docura99
03.02.2009
6:18pm
i love cumbia, never heard digital cumbia.......
bohoglam
03.02.2009
6:17pm
I loved Selena's Como La Flor, but haven't really checked out any of the new music in the genre. This song here sounds like you have to be drunk or high to enjoy.
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