Cumbia Cumbia, Vols. 1 & 2

Discos Fuentes was the very first record label in Colombia and remains one of the oldest and most important recording enterprises in the world. Founded by Antonio Fuentes in Cartagena in 1934, it has released some of the most important recordings in cumbia, vallenato, and fandango -- musical styles that fused African rhythms with western instruments. Discos Fuentes preceded Motown in its use of a studio factory conveyor belt system, employing its best-selling artists to compose and produce hit singles for others. Discos Fuentes launched the careers of many of the region's most important artists. World Circuit's Nick Gold licensed tracks from Discos Fuentes' catalog and compilations -- especially 1966's Cumbias, Cumbias, Cumbias -- and released the first volume of Cumbia Cumbia in 1988; the second followed in 1993. In 2021, Nonesuch compiles both volumes in a single package with 30 classic cumbias recorded between 1953 and 1988.
The first 12 selections allow listeners to hear the label's urban cumbias, which flourished at radio and in dancehalls from the late 1960s through the '80s. With its swinging horns, Gabriel Romero's "La Subienda" from 1980 draws inspiration from salsa and jazz, while Rodolfo y Su Tipica's 1978 salsa-inflected "Tabaco y Ron" is still spun by U.K. DJs. Aldolfo Echeverria y Su Orquesta's maracas-laden 1978 hit "Amanciendo" and the nearly funky "La Zenaida" by Armando Hernandez y Su Conjunto from 1984, register the beginning of the modern era, but some vintage sides by Los Immortales ("La Pollero Colora," 1974), and Pedro Laza y Sus Pelayeros ("Navidad Negra," 1960) reveal the contrast.
The second volume's contents mark the transition from the coastal, rural Afro-Cumbia of the 1950s as it met the label's urban expansion in the early '60s. 1966's "Santo Domingo" by Los Cumbiamberos de Pacheco weds the single-button accordion style to hand drums and metallic guiro. "Soledad" from El Combo de los Galleros was a standout from their self-titled 1963 album. "Lupita" by Guillermo Gonzalez y Su Orquesta from 1968 is a cooking dance tune fueled by dueling brass and reeds. La Sonora Dinamita are represented by a later track on volume one, but volume two's "Ritmo de Tambo" comes from Ritmo, their startling 1960 debut album that wed cumbia to son, merengue, and cha-cha. Andres Landero y Su Conjunto's "Cumbia en La India" was issued in 1966 but its recording dates to 1958; it's raw, driven by layers of hand percussion and drums, with only the accordion supporting the celebratory chant. Set-closer "Los Piojosa" by La Sonora Cienaguera from 1963, is an instrumental with trumpets, trombones, and tuba offering a counter-rhythmic head over the percussion instruments while various players solo. Cumbia Cumbia, Vols. 1 & 2 is the perfect place for beginners to investigate music's the modern roots (it has been around since the 17th century), while offering a musical treasure trove for cumbia veterans and collectors. ~ Thom Jurek