Cumbia From the Far West!, XIXA, Buyepongo, with The Cumbia DJ Collective

From its beginnings as a folkloric dance in Colombia to its present incarnation as a global phenomenon, Cumbia is turning out to be one of the most enduring and most adaptable of musical styles. On a par with Rock and Roll’s reach and diversity, domestic versions of cumbia have popped up in Argentina, Chile, Peru, Mexico – and now Europe and North America - mixing rock, electronic music, brass bands and all manners of local flavor.

The cumbia wave reached the US a few years back, influencing musicians who often had only minimal knowledge of “tropical"music. Los Angeles and Tucson, AZ both have long histories of mixing latin and anglo music and we’re proud to present two new bands that count cumbia as one of their main influences. XIXA and Buyepongo, both have strong individual voices and countless influences, but count Cumbia as one of their main inspiration. Both bands will be in NY for the very first time.


Brian Lopez and Gabriel Sullivan have been at the forefront of the Tucson scene for a number of years - as members of Howe Gelb’s Giant Sand and solo artists in their own rights.

Four years ago, inspired by Peruvian Cumbia, Brian and Gabe dedicated themselves to the exploration oF the guitar-driven trippy cumbia known as Chicha. After a few years of playing as Chicha Dust - and becoming one of Tucson’s most popular band - the group started writing all new material, mixing their rocking past and their passion for psychedelic cumbia - creating a sort of desert rock with a Latin edge and a strong taste for hallucinogenic experimentation. XIXA was born. Their EP is available on Barbes and Glitterhouse and their debut album, Bloodlines, will be released February 26th.


Based in Los Angeles, but with deep roots in South and Central America, Buyepongo draw heavily from pan-Latin music culture. Taking their cues from the traditional sounds of Colombia, Haiti, Belize, Honduras and the Dominican Republic their arrangements seamlessly fuse merengue, punta and cumbia.

Growing up as Latinos in Southern California, Buyepongo were also exposed to music of the time. From teenage punk rock angst to sample-driven underground hip hop, from classic reggae and funk. Their name, which translates roughly as “to cause a ruckus,”is a nod to the Wu Tang Clan track, “Bring da Ruckus” one of their sonic inspirations.