“Chucha” (AYA Records) is the new single by Mexico’s cumbia rockers Son Rompe Pera. It features elements of aliens, vivid dreams, false awakenings, and electrifying guitar riffs, as well as the signature marimba sound.
The single marks the announcement of their upcoming album Chimborazo, set to release on March 10th. This track represents a departure from their first LP Batuco, which included traditional folk and cumbia songs recorded in Santiago, Chile. With “Chucha” and their new album, Son Rompe Pera embraces their rock side seen in their live shows, which they have taken to Mexico, the US, and Europe, blurring the lines between cumbia and rock. This single marks their first original composition, inspired by a dream that Mongo, the composer, vocalist, and marimbista, couldn’t shake.
Mongo says: “I was dreaming of playing a show with La Floripondio (Chilean dub band that often invites Son Rompe Pera to perform with them). Everyone was talking, but they just kept saying ‘chucha chucha chucha’ all the time. I couldn’t understand anything. Then they played a song where they sang ‘chuuuchaaa’ and the crowd sang along, and it was then that I was startled awake by a loud noise. I laid in bed and heard sounds coming from all around me, and then saw strange lights shining into my room. Terrified and not knowing what to do, I got up, looked out the window and saw a spaceship filled with little aliens. At that point, I was scared to death and screamed in terror— ‘Chucha!’—and then I woke up again! I was in my bed, it had all been a dream within a dream, and I was sweating and not even sure if I was really even awake at that point. So I hid under the covers, not knowing if the aliens were there or the Chileans or what …”.
The forthcoming album from Son Rompe Pera, Chimborazo, was recorded during a week-long session in early 2022 at Mambo Negro Studios in Bogotá, Colombia and produced by Mario Galeano (Frente Cumbiero, Ondatrópica, Las Pirañas).
Son Rompe Pera On Tour:
Feb 10 – Sanguinea Tuxtla Gutierrez- Chiapas, Mexico
Feb 11- Jazz and Rhythms Festival- San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico
Feb 25- The Pit Cuernavaca- Morelia, Mexico
March 5- Zandunga- San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico
March 14-16 – SXSW- Austin, TX, USA
March 17- Deep Ellum Art Company- Dallas, TX, USA
March 18 – Axelrad – Houston, TX, USA
March 22 – Don Quijote – East Los Angeles, CA, USA
March 23 – Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, CA, USA
March 24 – The Starlet Room- Sacramento, CA, USA
March 25-26 – Treefort Music Festival- Boise, ID
April 22- El Lunario- Mexico City, Mexico