Cumbia villera
Encyclopedia
Cumbia villera is a typically Argentine
form of cumbia
music born in the villas miseria (shantytowns) around Buenos Aires
and then popularized in other large urban settlements, is derived musically from Cumbia sonidera
and Chicha Cumbia.
from the provinces
(as well as from neighboring countries like Uruguay
, Paraguay
and Bolivia
) to the Greater Buenos Aires
area, with migrants bringing along their dance styles. The musical mix and the dynamics sounds of big-city life eventually gave birth to new styles. Notably, chamamé
from Corrientes
was cross-pollinated with Andean
music and cuarteto
from Córdoba province
. During the 1970s and 1980s, tropical was used as a catch-all term for this hybrid.
In the 1990s, commercial interests started promoting local cumbia numbers such as Amar Azul and Ráfaga
with an emphasis on attracting wider audiences. Many traditional cumbia lovers started to search for more "authentic" numbers, and some bands obliged by setting on a square cumbia beat, and writing lyrics that delved ever deeper into themes of crime
and drug abuse
. Foremost among those was Los Pibes Chorros ("The Thieving Kids"). Other bands in this vein are Yerba Brava ("Tough Weed", a play on words referring both to yerba mate
and marijuana) and Damas Gratis
("Ladies' Night", literally "Ladies for Free"), widely acknowledged as the genre's leading act, that was started by former Amar Azul's keyboardist Pablo Lescano after a serious car accident made him reconsider the message he wanted to convey through music.
The pauperization
of vast segments of the population due to the economic slowdown that started in 1998 enlarged the social substrate for the genre. The term cumbia villera took hold in the media, and many bands were propelled into fame when emerging football
stars from the shantytowns, such as Carlos Tévez
, proclaimed their allegiance. When his schedule allows, Tévez is lead singer for Piola Vago
(loose translation: "savvy bum").
to tropical; even though the more provocative lyrics were seldom broadcast.
In recent years, due to pressure from broadcasters and (allegedly) influence from Evangelical
preachers active in the shantytowns, some bands have shifted back to love song
s instead.
n or Bolivian cumbia can be quite complex (even traditionalists like Pastor López use a full brass
section), cumbia villera recordings are often made at the lowest possible expense. As this invariably entails the use of synthesizer
s, Argentine cumbia can be described, like Algeria
n raï
, as a "low fidelity, high tech" genre.
Other than raï, cumbia villera also has obvious parallels with gangsta rap
in the United States
, the rhythms of the favela
s of Rio de Janeiro
, like baile funk, the explosion of punk rock
and ska
in the UK
during the 1970s and 1980s, and the emergence of bad-boy reggae
in 1960s Jamaica
.
Puerto Rican
import reggaeton
has made inroads into cumbia villera audiences, partly due to thematic similarities.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
form of cumbia
Cumbia
Cumbia is a music genre popular across Latin America. The cumbia originated in the Caribbean coast of Colombia, where it is associated with an eponymous dance and has since spread as far as Mexico and Argentina...
music born in the villas miseria (shantytowns) around Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
and then popularized in other large urban settlements, is derived musically from Cumbia sonidera
Cumbia sonidera
Cumbia sonidera is a musical style originated in the marginalized neighborhoods of Mexico City. It is a deformed and altered variant of Cumbia. Cumbia Sonidera was re-invented and created in Mexico City by DJs.-Musical:...
and Chicha Cumbia.
Origins
Ever since the 1930s there has been a strong migrationHuman migration
Human migration is physical movement by humans from one area to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups. Historically this movement was nomadic, often causing significant conflict with the indigenous population and their displacement or cultural assimilation. Only a few nomadic...
from the provinces
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
(as well as from neighboring countries like Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
and Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
) to the Greater Buenos Aires
Greater Buenos Aires
Greater Buenos Aires is the generic denomination to refer to the megalopolis comprising the autonomous city of Buenos Aires and the conurbation around it, over the province of Buenos Aires—namely the adjacent 24 partidos or municipalities—which nonetheless do not constitute a single administrative...
area, with migrants bringing along their dance styles. The musical mix and the dynamics sounds of big-city life eventually gave birth to new styles. Notably, chamamé
Chamamé
Chamamé is a folk music genre from the Argentine Northeast, Mesopotamia and in the south of Brazil. Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul and Mato Grosso do Sul....
from Corrientes
Corrientes Province
Corrientes is a province in northeast Argentina, in the Mesopotamia region. It is surrounded by : Paraguay, the province of Misiones, Brazil, Uruguay, and the provinces of Entre Rios, Santa Fe and Chaco.-History:...
was cross-pollinated with Andean
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
music and cuarteto
Cuarteto
Cuarteto , sometimes called cuartetazo, is a musical genre born in Córdoba, Argentina.The roots of the cuarteto ensemble are in Italian and Spanish dance ensambles...
from Córdoba province
Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...
. During the 1970s and 1980s, tropical was used as a catch-all term for this hybrid.
In the 1990s, commercial interests started promoting local cumbia numbers such as Amar Azul and Ráfaga
Ráfaga
Ráfaga is one of the most important bands within the Argentine cumbia. Formed in 1994, they started playing in Argentine cumbia clubs and quickly gained popularity....
with an emphasis on attracting wider audiences. Many traditional cumbia lovers started to search for more "authentic" numbers, and some bands obliged by setting on a square cumbia beat, and writing lyrics that delved ever deeper into themes of crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
and drug abuse
Drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
. Foremost among those was Los Pibes Chorros ("The Thieving Kids"). Other bands in this vein are Yerba Brava ("Tough Weed", a play on words referring both to yerba mate
Yerba mate
Maté, yerba maté or erva maté , Ilex paraguariensis, is a species of holly native to subtropical South America in northeastern Argentina, Bolivia, southern Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay...
and marijuana) and Damas Gratis
Damas Gratis
Damas Gratis is an Argentinian cumbia band started by Pablo Lescano in 2000. Damas Gratis is the leader of bands of the cumbia villera movement.-Discography:Para los Pibes...
("Ladies' Night", literally "Ladies for Free"), widely acknowledged as the genre's leading act, that was started by former Amar Azul's keyboardist Pablo Lescano after a serious car accident made him reconsider the message he wanted to convey through music.
The pauperization
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
of vast segments of the population due to the economic slowdown that started in 1998 enlarged the social substrate for the genre. The term cumbia villera took hold in the media, and many bands were propelled into fame when emerging football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
stars from the shantytowns, such as Carlos Tévez
Carlos Tévez
Carlos Alberto Tévez is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for English club Manchester City...
, proclaimed their allegiance. When his schedule allows, Tévez is lead singer for Piola Vago
Piola Vago
Piola Vago are a Cumbia Villera band from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Their line-up includes famous Argentina and Manchester City football player Carlos Tévez, his brother Diego, Michael Slaski, and Tim Hoffmann....
(loose translation: "savvy bum").
Present outlook
Some radio and TV shows had incorporated cumbia villera into their offerings, notably on weekend omnibus variety shows, where music runs the gamut from folkloreFolklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
to tropical; even though the more provocative lyrics were seldom broadcast.
In recent years, due to pressure from broadcasters and (allegedly) influence from Evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
preachers active in the shantytowns, some bands have shifted back to love song
Love song
A love song is about falling in love and the feelings it brings. Anthologies of love songs often contain a mixture of both of these types of song. A bawdy song is both humorous and saucy, emphasizing the physical pleasure of love rather than the emotional joy...
s instead.
Influences and parallels
Whilst the arrangements of ColombiaColombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n or Bolivian cumbia can be quite complex (even traditionalists like Pastor López use a full brass
Brass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
section), cumbia villera recordings are often made at the lowest possible expense. As this invariably entails the use of synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s, Argentine cumbia can be described, like Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n raï
Raï
Raï is a form of folk music that originated in Oran, Algeria from Bedouin shepherds, mixed with Spanish, French, African and Arabic musical forms, which dates back to the 1930s....
, as a "low fidelity, high tech" genre.
Other than raï, cumbia villera also has obvious parallels with gangsta rap
Gangsta rap
Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the rhythms of the favela
Favela
A favela is the generally used term for a shanty town in Brazil. In the late 18th century, the first settlements were called bairros africanos . This was the place where former slaves with no land ownership and no options for work lived. Over the years, many freed black slaves moved in...
s of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, like baile funk, the explosion of punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
during the 1970s and 1980s, and the emergence of bad-boy reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
in 1960s Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
.
Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
import reggaeton
Reggaeton
Reggaeton is a form of Puerto Rican and Latin American urban and Caribbean music. After its mainstream exposure in 2004, it spread to North American, European and Asian audiences. Reggaeton originated in Puerto Rico but is also has roots from Reggae en Español from Panama and Puerto Rico and...
has made inroads into cumbia villera audiences, partly due to thematic similarities.
External links
- Damas Gratis
- MuevaMueva Spanish language portal
- Backstage (German)
- Backstage (French)
- Sociological analysis (Spanish)
- http://www.cumbiadenegros.net/