Chicos Add Hip-hop To Cumbia Mix

Mexican group Chicos de Barrio has become one of the hottest draws in the Southwest by spicing up its big-horn sonora cumbias with rap and hip-hop rhythms.

Attracting a far younger crowd than is typical for a regional Mexican act, the 12-member band is redefining the genre for a younger, more urban, bicultural crowd.

But Chicos' appeal goes beyond the music. While the group's dynamic stage shows turn heads in the comparatively conservative regional Mexican market, equally noticeable are the band's colorful urban street clothes, which borrow as much from Eminem as from the Kumbia Kings.

"When they first came [along], we booked them alongside vallenato groups," veteran concert promoter Carlos Ríos says. "Now, we regularly book them with norteño and tropical cumbia groups. That works best for us, because we get a family crowd. The parents come and bring their children."

The group's instrumentation includes keyboards, percussion, and an impressive three-horn section that recalls the big-horn power of Mexico's legendary Sonora Santanera. Yet the key is the fusion of sonora cumbias and rap/hip-hop flavorings.

As most industry observers will point out, fusion is nothing new. In the rock/pop/dance genres, fusion groups include Rabanes, Los Ilegales, Azul Azul, and Proyecto Uno. In the Tejano market, the Kumbia Kings have fused hip-hop, funk, and cumbias.

In a recent interview, Chicos leader singer Dimas Maciel said the band did not mind the occasional odd looks, "as long as fans are dancing or getting down to our groove. Here in la onda grupera, they see us as strange creatures, because of our way of dressing, singing, and putting on a show.

"[Our music] is very innovative. It's like tropical music fused with hip-hop and rap. We also put in salsa, vallenato, many other currents. In la onda grupera people are used to seeing vests, boots, hats, ties, and suits, and we come in with a very peculiar style of dressing—very barrio style, whether [Mexican] or [American]—so people freak out.

"More than anything, it's so that people identify us," Maciel continues. "In this market, the kids look to rap and rock artists, so people identify with our music, too. We can play a concert, and we can play a grupero dance."

Miguel Trujillo, managing director of the MCM/Warner Mex label, says Chicos' strength is in their youthful sound. "Many would say that their sound is cumbia—and it is, but not the typical cumbia. Chicos have taken the sound one step ahead. They've made it more appealing to all kinds of people, from Cancún to Chicago. The group can take this rhythm to a different level."

Chicos are among the hottest groups playing a musical fusion, says Isabelle H. Salazar, senior Latin buyer at Wherehouse Music/Tu Musica. "One particular CD that really sells well in our chain from Chicos is called La Lola. It came out more than a year ago, but it sells well," she says. "Many years ago, El General was the first Latino rapero introduced to our markets. He did exceptionally well for several years."

The band's latest CD, Dominando y Controlando, was produced by Maciel and keyboardist Juan Angel Najera. Two singles are getting heavy airplay at regional Mexican stations, including KLEY-FM here. "The cool thing about Chicos is how they mix the traditional sounds of the cumbia and vallenato and add a touch of rap and hip-hop," KLEY promotions director Michael Hernandez says. "El Gran Silencio described their music the best—it's like freestyle norteño."

Onstage, Chicos jump around, mixing hip-hop struts with tropical swing steps. "We focus more than anything on what young people want and need," singer Susana Ortiz says. "On 'El Baile del Gavilan,' we got the idea to interpret that old norteño song in a new way, because many people danced to that classic for so many years."

Musically, the band also experimented in the studio. "This album is a little more innovative," Maciel says. "It has a little more fusion of styles, and [is] perhaps more acoustic. We don't use any samples. Everything's acoustic except the keyboards. We could have done any number of things in the studio, but you don't want to shake up the market with a radical change."