Cumbia: Villa Diamante

Yup, I keep on ranting about that nueva cumbia thing. Or should I call it digital cumbia? At least that's what the primary gathering place for new cumbia deejays (Zizek Urban Beats Club in Buenos Aires) named the movement: check the site of their newest record label ZZK Records. There you'll also notice the first 'official' cumbia digital compilation for sale there, though sadly the best mashups are not on the CD (probably thanks to those damned copyrights). Luckily a small scroll downwards reveals a more than excellent mixtape by Zizek resident Villa Diamante, with the latest batch of superb mashes: "Modeselektor vs. Calle 13" (German electronics meet Puerto Rican rap), "Pibes Chorros vs DJ Uhn" (deeply rolling beats spice up a slow cumbia rebajada rhythm), and that Sonidero Nacional track with the heavy raggacumbia bass. I'm not the type of guy to jump on every mixtape released, but I guess I'm just that obsessed with this totally fresh sound :) I love how Jay-Z, some long forgotten cumbia band, hip elektro beats, and ragga & reggaeton can all be blended into one multi-continental set while still sounding as if they belong together. It kinda defies borders, genres, cultures... And it's freely downloadable ;)

I'll make use of this new post to point you again to Bersa Discos (this time with the correct link), the San Francisco-based cumbia digital label run by DJ Oro11, which recently released a first EP. Not without accompanying free mixtape, of course ;)