The historical origins of cumbia are nebulous and imprecise. The  mythology surrounding it suggests an ancient past when Amerindian, African and European musical sounds were mixed together. After digging deep into the overwhelming archives of Discos Fuentes, Codiscos and Discos MAG in our previous volumes, this fourth instalment in the series “Cumbia Cumbia Cumbia!!!”  comprises 28 Colombian cumbia bangers for the dance floor from the deep vaults of Discos Tropical, all of them originally released  between 1960 and 1984.

Discos Tropical was a Barranquilla-based label founded in the mid-1940s by Luis Emilio Fortou Pereira, a visionary who helped define Colombian dancing habits and tastes from the previous century. Until the late '50s, most cumbias were orchestral-based.  However, even though formats and styles diversified from the following decade onward, these highly popular big bands  spectacularly defined the sound of Discos Tropical and livened up the most cosmopolitan dances in the major coastal cities. After the mid-'60s, the big bands gradually fell into decline, but the popular demand for tropical music did not.

Facing this situation, the major record companies created smaller-format groups with one particular feature: they mixed accordion music with brass bands. This new volume of “Cumbia Cumbia Cumbia!!!” combines well-known classics and rarities that are difficult to find in their original formats. An invitation to enjoy and be amazed, above and beyond ethnographic and academic concerns.