Barbès Agency
 

CHICHA LIBRE

Chicha Libre plays a mixture of latin rhythms, surf and psychedelic pop inspired by Peruvian music from Lima and the Amazon. The Brooklyn collective is made up of French, American, Venezuelan and Mexican musicians who mix up covers of Peruvian Chicha with original compositions in French, Spanish and English, re-interpretation of 70’s pop classics as well as cumbia versions of pieces by the likes of Satie, Love and Wagner.

Chicha Libre started out in 2006 as a tribute to Peruvian pioneers but quickly evolved into an original project which MTV has cited as one of the world's preeminent Tropical Psychedelic band. Indeed, while they remain true to their Chicha roots, Chicha Libre's music has taken a definitely more psychedelic turn drawing more and more from its members' alternative background.

 

Chicha Libre's sound and approach are completely indebted to the Peruvian bands it originally emulated. Like their mentors, they use surf guitar, organ sounds and latin percussion to play a mixture of borrowed and homegrown sounds. Their sound has become more processed, synth sounds and treated guitars and the borrowings are differ from that of Peruvian precursors - classical music and pop debris from 3 continents in Chicha Libre's case – but the latin rhythms that form the basis of the music are both as inherent and as foreign to them as they were to the Shipibo Indians who first took up the electric guitar.

 

Chicha Libre has performed around the world, including Turkey, The UK, Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Denmark, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, the US, Canada and, of course, Peru. They have showcased at WOMEX, in Copenhagen, and Globalfest, in NYC.

They have performed at Primavera Sounds, WOMAD, Les Nuits Secretes, Celebrate Brooklyn, La Virada Cultural, and a host of clubs, institutions and festivals around the world 

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The band is based in Brookyn, NY and available all year around. 

6 musicians on stage and on the road​

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Contact us for more info at: Barbesbookings@gmail.com