Gio Chamba – Tropidelicos (Mixto Records, 2025)
Houston duo Gio Chamba released their new album Tropidelicos not long ago. The eight-track set is characterized by the group’s hip-swaying psychedelic-electronic cumbia sound, led by guitars inspired by 1970s Peruvian tropical cumbia.
The project grew out of demos Gio Alejandro began in 2020 as a chicha-focused, guitar-forward idea. An accident that damaged his hard drive erased the early recordings. For sure, this meant a reset of the album. Producer Svani Quintanilla (Principe Q, nephew of Selena) joined as co-producer, contributing organ and electronic elements from his base in San Antonio, while Coffee Guzmán tracked congas in Houston and Gio wrote and arranged farther north, from Colorado Springs, Colorado.
According to the band, Tropidelicos aims to “bridge the gap between live instrumentation and electronic elements.”
The album includes lead single “La Danza de Los Mirlos” (The Dance of the Blackbirds), an irresistible paced reimagining of the classic cumbia through Gio Chamba’s electronic lens.
“¡Chicha Tu Madre!” (Chicha your Mother) delivers high-energy, chicha on speed, vintage-meets-modern cumbia.
“Psychedelicacy” centers on hypnotic rhythm and intricate psychedelic guitar. “Solecito” (Little Sunshine) leans into trippy psychedelic sounds, while “Turbo Cumbia” pushes a faster, cheerful, club-oriented sound rooted in Andean folkloric influences.
Gio describes the album as a personal turning point, written during what he recalls as a particularly joyful period. He completed it after a more difficult chapter in his life, framing the record as a return to that earlier sense of optimism. He also sees Tropidelicos as a step forward for the band, highlighting the guitar as a clearer melodic voice carrying themes of love and peace.
A tour is planned in support of the album, with live shows expected to mirror the record’s focus on high-energy, dance-forward performance.
Gio Chamba is the Houston-based duo of Gio Alejandro and Coffee Guzman. The group is known for a mix of bass-heavy electronic beats, psychedelic guitar work, tropical-leaning vocal melodies, and driving congas rooted in cumbia and Cuban beats.
Author: Iliana Cabrera
