Los Pibes Chorros: From Berazategui to Coachella
From Berazategui, Los Pibes Chorros' cumbia villera tells stories of struggle and direct address, bringing the sound of Argentina's 2001 crisis to Coachella.
Tracklist
- Andrea — Los Pibes Chorros
- Sentimiento villero — Los Pibes Chorros
Transcript
Andrea — Los Pibes Chorros
What does a group headed to Coachella in 2027 sing about on its breakthrough debut? Los Pibes Chorros formed around 2000 in Berazategui, Buenos Aires. Their 2001 album Arriba las Manos brought them wider attention, and “Andrea” is on it. Consequence places cumbia villera’s rise in working-class neighborhoods around Buenos Aires, amid Argentina’s 2001 crisis. In the song, Andrea is called shrewd; cumbia, drinks and money come up before repeated directions to move her hips and hands. The direct address puts a person, not a genre label, in front of you. Hear Andrea by Los Pibes Chorros.
Sentimiento villero — Los Pibes Chorros
“Andrea” tells someone how to move. In “Sentimiento villero,” Los Pibes Chorros tell a story of being left behind. Both songs are on their breakthrough debut, Arriba las Manos. The narrator remembers his partner urging him to give up marijuana, pills and alcohol. He says he kept using them; she left with her mother for Chaco, and he stayed in the villa, an informal settlement. Consequence says the Berazategui band helped popularize cumbia villera and is booked to bring it to Coachella for the first time in 2027. In this song, he says all he has left is the memory of her love. Hear Sentimiento villero by Los Pibes Chorros.