Cachaca (musical genre)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cachaca | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Kachaka, Kchk, Cachaca piru |
| Stylistic origins | Colombian cumbia, Mexican cumbia |
| Cultural origins | 1970s and early 1980s in Barrio Obrero, Asunción, Paraguay [1] |
| Typical instruments | accordion, electric bass, percussion, electronic organ, synthesiser, etc. |
| Regional scenes | |
| Paraguay, northeastern provinces of Argentina. | |
Cachaca or kchaka, or kachaka (Spanish pronunciation: [kaˈt͡ʃa.ka]) is a musical genre that originated in Paraguay in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It is descended from Colombian cumbia, Mexican cumbia, grupera music, and Tecnocumbia.
Although it is a genre derived from cumbia, it receives the Colombian term[2] of cachaca, as a version of the song Por el amor de Claudia by the Colombian composer Guillermo Buitrago[1] became popular in the 1970s when it was recorded by La Sonora Dinamita. The chorus of the song went:
La cachaca tiene un Buey,
La cachaca tiene un Buey,
La cachaca tiene un Buey,
Que lo llaman la Esperanza.
The variant spellings "kachaka" and "kchaka" may originate from the 1990s programme "Kchak" presented by Hugo Javier González.[1]
History
In the early 1970s, several Colombian cumbia bands and soloists (such as Lisandro Meza, La Sonora Dinamita, etc.), and Mexican cumbia groups (although the Mexican influence would not become very noticeable until the second half of the 1980s), more specifically in the line of grupera music (such as El Tiempo, Bronco (band) or Los Bukis, etc.) began to spread their music in countries such as Paraguay.[3]
In the 1990s, the cachaca genre flourished with the pioneering groups,[3] but Mexican bands such as Mandingo, Guardianes del Amor, Los Rehenes, Los Temerarios, Grupo Bryndis, among others, also joined in and had an influence.
Later, the genre gained a lot of traction in Bolivia and especially in Paraguay, where the first Paraguayan cachaca performers emerged in the 2000s.
It is worth noting that it was during this time that the first groups of Paraguayan cachaca emerged, including Grupo Show Madrigal and Los Roller's.[3][4]
By the 2000s, the popularity of cachaca had declined, but due to the immigration of Paraguayans from rural areas to other countries, especially Argentina, the genre spread territorially through local radio, leading to the emergence of groups such as Refugio de Amor, Tiempo de Amor and Los Ponys in the province of Buenos Aires.[5]
Characteristics and Composition
Although it does not have a defined composition, all cachaca or kachaka songs have a primary rhythm[6] derived from Colombian cumbia. They are characterised by a slightly slower tempo, rhythmic repetition without variations, and the use of acoustic or, more commonly, electric drum kits. The lyrics typically cover a range of themes, including economic crisis, patriotism, machismo, unhappy loves, romanticism, heartbreak, and occasionally eroticism. In addition to the drum kit, a traditional group in this genre also includes an electric guitar, bass guitar, synthesiser or electric keyboard (the latter being frequently used for solos), accordion, and sometimes even saxophone.[3] A major influence on this genre was Lalo y Los Descalzos, who completely modified this movement, expanding it and leading many groups to adopt their style of interpretation and sound as their own. This characteristic can be observed in groups such as Refugio de Amor, Los Ponys, Rolo y Los Impecables, and Frecuencia Trío.
The chachaca's lyrics often address themes such as economic crisis, patriotism, machism, unhappy loves, romanticism, heartbreak, and occasionally eroticism.[3]
The genre is influenced by Vallenato, Colombian cumbia, chicha, Mexican cumbia, Tex-mex, and norteño cumbia.[3]