About this Artist

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Editorial Reviews

Although vastly popular in South America, Colombian cumbia is one of the most overlooked styles of Latin music, often taking a backseat to the Cuban son, Nuyorican salsa, and Dominican merengue. La Sonora Dinamita is one of the country's most prolific cumbia party bands, and this copious collection of 30 hits is the perfect introduction to the genre. With a rolling rhythm that recalls polka as well as dancehall reggae, cumbia as performed by La Sonora is irresistible to the point of being trance-inducing. The vocals are divided mostly between the compelling Lucho Argaín and the coyly blasé La India Meliyará, with the two telling the folksy stories of the resilient Colombian Everyman looking for a good time after the tribulations of the work week. The album features standards like "Ay Chave," "El Africano," and "Se Me Perdió La Cadenita," as well as piquant tastes of subgenres like gaita and saporrita. The tracks are spliced together without breaks, rendering Pegaditas de Oro a nonstop, ready made dance party set. Those who are unsure of how to dance to cumbia need only follow the instructions of "A Mover La Colita" ("shake your booty") literally -- the message to get a groove on surely transcends any language barriers. Ed Morales, Barnes & Noble

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