The Rough Guide to Cumbia

The brand-new Rough Guide to Cumbia is a soul-satisfying tour through the exciting territory that is Colombian cumbia music—from its Afro-Caribbean roots to contemporary takes on cumbia. The late Lucho Bermúdez’s highly danceable “Gaita De Las Flores” is must-hear stuff, as is the even more mesmerizing “Fiesta En Mi Pueblo,” by Los Hispanos, a Colombian group known for bringing cumbia to the upper-class youth of Colombia’s interior in the 1960s. The album closes with the catchy, techno-driven “Para Bailar,” an up-to-the-moment take on cumbia as interpreted by El Hijo De La Cumbia (Argentinian DJ/producer Emiliano Gómez). As one online reviewer put it, “It is so good that the painter (from Colombia) who is painting our hallways rang my doorbell to ask about it. He wants a copy, too. He danced out the door.” To add extra frosting to this delectable cake, a bonus CD is included: The captivating (and sensuous: listen to “Ocho Dias”) Rough Guide to Los Corraleros De Majagual. ¡Sabor!