Cumbia music in Peru had its golden age starting back in the 60’s with a style called Chicha. It took the Colombian cumbia roots but added the diverse Afro-Peruvian rhythms and Andean intrumental influences with a surf guitar sound, thus Peruvian cumbias became characterized as psychedelic.  Chichas became a thing of the past of course and the music became considered cheesy old people party music.

As of two years ago cumbia in Peru has once again taken the front seat as the popular music but with a more comercial sound.  Los Chapillacs however have decided to revamp the old Chicha sound and bring back the lost party flavor from the dead.. and they did it well in Lima on 3/31/09 @ Bar Mochileros.

The most amazing thing for me about this band is that these young kids are from Arequipa, a conservative southern city with nowhere near the cultural capacity of Lima the capital.  It is rare that a band from Arequipa can come to the capital, pack a nightclub, and rock the hell out of it on a Tuesday night.  The band received great accolades from the crowd which ended up full of sweat by 1:30 am.  I also find it cool that their name, Chapillacs, is derived from La Virgen de Chapi who is the virgin patron of Arequipa if you will.  If you ever go to Arequipa you will likely see Virgen de Chapi efigies everywhere.

Their live show simply rocked, it did not sound psychedelic as their music claimed but if you can listen to their recorded sound here: http://www.myspace.com/chapillacs

I suspect that a band like this would do well on a little West coast American tour. San Franciscans would love it.