Los Shapis
Encyclopedia
Los Shapis is a chicha group from Peru
. They rose to prominence with their 1981 hit song, El Aguajal (which means The Swamp), a modern adaptation of traditional huayno
. They were noted for their rainbow coloured costumes.
Los Shapis was one of the first chicha groups. "Chicha", which is also the name of a traditional beverage made of corn
, is a musical rhythm created in the 1980s in Lima
. It uses electric and acoustic instruments and was inspired by traditional Andean rhythms
like the huayño
. In the 1980s chicha was mostly heard and danced in Lima's poor suburbs (the so called "Conos") by the rural migrants (and by their children) that came to Peru's capital since the 1950s and settled in the sand hills that surrounded Lima. Today chicha music, and its latest musical evolutions, can be heard all over the city, and Los Shapis has become a mythical group whose vocalist's (el Chapulín) life has lately inspired a new TV soap.
Chicha was the first of many other fusion rhythms (tecnocumbia, cumbia tropical) that could be described as a mixture of Colombia's traditional cumbia, andean rhythms, tropical Caribbean rhythms (guaracha
, bolero
), and electronic music
; these new rhythms express today's most popular Peruvian music.
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. They rose to prominence with their 1981 hit song, El Aguajal (which means The Swamp), a modern adaptation of traditional huayno
Huayno
Huayno is a genre of popular Andean Music and dance from Andean countries. It is especially common in Peru. It originated in Serrania, Peru as a combination of traditional rural folk music and popular urban dance music...
. They were noted for their rainbow coloured costumes.
Los Shapis was one of the first chicha groups. "Chicha", which is also the name of a traditional beverage made of corn
Chicha
For the musical genre, see Peruvian cumbiaChicha is a term used in some regions of Latin America for several varieties of fermented and non-fermented beverages, rather often to those derived from maize and similar non-alcoholic beverages...
, is a musical rhythm created in the 1980s in Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
. It uses electric and acoustic instruments and was inspired by traditional Andean rhythms
Andean music
Andean music comes from the general area inhabited by Quechuas, Aymaras and other peoples that lived roughly in the area of the Inca Empire prior to European contact. It includes folklore music of parts of Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela...
like the huayño
Huayno
Huayno is a genre of popular Andean Music and dance from Andean countries. It is especially common in Peru. It originated in Serrania, Peru as a combination of traditional rural folk music and popular urban dance music...
. In the 1980s chicha was mostly heard and danced in Lima's poor suburbs (the so called "Conos") by the rural migrants (and by their children) that came to Peru's capital since the 1950s and settled in the sand hills that surrounded Lima. Today chicha music, and its latest musical evolutions, can be heard all over the city, and Los Shapis has become a mythical group whose vocalist's (el Chapulín) life has lately inspired a new TV soap.
Chicha was the first of many other fusion rhythms (tecnocumbia, cumbia tropical) that could be described as a mixture of Colombia's traditional cumbia, andean rhythms, tropical Caribbean rhythms (guaracha
Guaracha
The guaracha is a genre of Cuban popular music, of rapid tempo and with lyrics. The word had been used in this sense at least since the late 18th and early 19th century. Guarachas were played and sung in musical theatres and in low-class dance salons. They became an integral part of Bufo comic...
, bolero
Bolero
Bolero is a form of slow-tempo Latin music and its associated dance and song. There are Spanish and Cuban forms which are both significant and which have separate origins.The term is also used for some art music...
), and electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
; these new rhythms express today's most popular Peruvian music.