Hispanic Heritage

La Sonora Dinamita

Cumbia musicians
Formed 1960, in Colombia. Disbanded 1963.
Re-formed 1975, in Colombia.
Based in Colombia.

Members: Julio Ernesto Estrada "Fruko" Rincon, bandleader; various additional performers.

Sonora Dinamita is one of the definitive Colombian cumbia groups. Its current version was created in 1975 by Julio Ernesto Estrada Rincon, a.k.a. "Fruko," musical director for the Discos Fuentes label. Fruko was asked by Discos Fuentes to resuscitate the group, which had run its course between 1960 and 1963 playing horn-heavy cumbias. With its moderate tempo and straightforward steps, cumbia — an African-rooted style from the Atlantic coast of Colombia — is the most popular dance throughout Central America and Mexico. For the Sonora Dinamita records Fruko uses mainly members of his own group Frukos y Sus Tesos — Colombia's most popular salsa band and the house band for Discos Fuentes. The dominant characteristics of this new, 10-piece incarnation are the trumpets and the high, girlish female vocal parts. The band has remained popular in Colombia's interior even though cumbia has clearly been challenged by the rural-styled vallenata as the most popular Colombian music. Perhaps this is due to the current Dinamita line-up's own rootsy approach.

If you live where you can buy Latin records you'll be able pick up some of Dinamita's classic albums; otherwise some easier-to-find various-artists anthologies will provide a good first taste of both the band and its genre. Cumbia, Cumbia: Cumbias de Oro de Colombia i (World Circuit, 1989, prod. Nick Gold) is a superb compilation featuring a prime track by Sonora Dinaminta, "Se Me Perdio La Cadenita." This is one of the greatest dance compilations of all time, with excellent fidelity — and Cumbia, Cumbia, Vol. 2 (World Circuit, 1993, prod. Nick Gold) may be even better. Same great variety of tunes, same high-fidelity remixes of classic cumbias. This one features "Ritmo de Tambo" by the group.

Source: MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide, Visible Ink Press, 2000.