Skip to main content Skip to footer site map
Mexico's Marimba Misfits Son Rompe Pera Release Single 'Chucha'

Mexico's Marimba Misfits Son Rompe Pera Release Single 'Chucha'

With this single they also announce the release of their forthcoming album Chimborazo on March 10. 

Aliens, fever dreams, false awakenings, searing electric guitars and of course the marimba are ever-present in the new single "Chucha" from Mexico's cumbia punks Son Rompe Pera, out today on AYA Records. With this single they also announce the release of their forthcoming album Chimborazo on March 10.

The track is in stark contrast to what listeners hear on their first LP Batuco (2020), a now-cult-classic marked by traditional folk and cumbia songs that they recorded, nearly by accident, on a 4-track at Perros Con Tiña Studios in Santiago, Chile. "Chucha'', and the album that contains it, reflects the vibrant, ruthless, punk spirit of their live show that they've since taken across Mexico, the US and Europe.

The band has grown considerably since the release of Batuco- touring with bands like Panteon Rococo, Fishbone, The Gimme Gimmes and beyond while watching fiery marimba mosh pits break out at every show- the lines between cumbia and punk getting increasingly blurry, and their sound becoming clearer.

"Chucha" is the group's first truly original composition. It's is based on a dream that Mongo (Allan Gama- composer, vocalist, marimbista) couldn't wake up from- "I was dreaming of playing a show with La Floripondio," he says, referring to the Chilean dub/punk band that often invites Son Rompe Pera to perform with them.

"Everyone was talking, but they just kept saying 'chucha chucha chucha' all the time. I couldn't understand anything. Then they played a song where they sang 'chuuuchaaa' and the crowd sang along, and it was then that I was startled awake by a loud noise. I laid in bed and heard sounds coming from all around me, and then saw strange lights shining into my room. Terrified and not knowing what to do, I got up, looked out the window and saw a spaceship filled with little aliens.

At that point, I was scared to death and screamed in terror- 'Chucha!'-and then I woke up again! I was in my bed, it had all been a dream within a dream and I was sweating and not even sure if I was really even awake at that point. So I hid under the covers, not knowing if the aliens were there or the Chileans or what ...".

The song took many takes to record, and ultimately the one that made the cut was the last one- 'That final take is what is on the record. It's me giving it my last possible breath, mixing desperation with stage fright, nightmares and aliens, and I think it sounds pretty spot on,' says Mongo.

"Chucha" is a statement of intent, adding another chapter to the group's against-all-odds story and unlikely rise to international fame. As kids, they spent years busing in the streets with the marimba alongside their father. As teens, they rebelled against the iconic instrument, joining punk and psychobilly bands that involved everything but playing the marimba. With Son Rompe Pera, however, Mongo and his brothers Kacho and Kilos have brought it all together, updating the marimba's place in history while bringing it to the world's biggest stages and playing the instrument like no one ever has.

The forthcoming album from Son Rompe Pera, Chimborazo, was recorded during a week-long session in early 2022 at Mambo Negro Studios in Bogotá, Colombia and produced by Mario Galeano (Frente Cumbiero, Ondatrópica, Las Pirañas).

Listen to the new single here:



Chet Bakers Blue Room: The 1979 VARA Studio Sessions In Holland Out April 22 From Jazz Det Photo
Jazz Detective, the label founded in 2022 by GRAMMY-nominated archival producer Zev Feldman, will release Blue Room: The 1979 VARA Studio Sessions in Holland, a superlative, previously unreleased set of studio performances recorded in Holland by legendary trumpeter Chet Baker, as a limited two-LP set on Record Store Day April 22.

Sonny Wern Releases Cover Of P!nks Get This Party Started Photo
DJ / Producer Sonny Wern is back with another tech house cover, this time taking on P!nk's classic track 'Get the Party Started' and giving it his own tech house spin.

Video: Keke Palmer Releases Short Film Big Boss on Amazon Music Photo
In Big Boss, a young woman from Chicago struggles to make it in the unpredictable, callous, male-dominated music industry, only to realize the greater challenge was learning to trust her own instincts. Written and directed by Keke Palmer, this video is her true story of perseverance, self-love, impenetrable faith, and survival of spirit.

Lights to Release dEd in April Photo
Flipping the energetic, danceable record on its head (even the tracklist is reversed), dEd, ironically, breathes new life into the album’s 13 tracks with dreamy, electronic reinterpretations. The announcement is heralded by the release of “Voices Carry (dEd version),” which is available now. dEd is available for presave now via Fueled By Ramen.


From This Author - Michael Major


Photos: First Look at Sutton Foster Hosting GREAT PERFORMANCES 50th Anniversary ConcertPhotos: First Look at Sutton Foster Hosting GREAT PERFORMANCES 50th Anniversary Concert
March 24, 2023

Two-time Tony winner Sutton Foster (Anything Goes, Music Man) hosted last night’s star-studded “Great Performances: Celebrating 50 Years of Broadway” concert at Lincoln Center. The concert also features Sara Bareilles, Corbin Bleu, Norm Lewis, Patina Miller, Chita Rivera, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and more. Check out photos of Foster hosting now!

Video: Keke Palmer Releases New Short Film 'Big Boss' on Amazon MusicVideo: Keke Palmer Releases New Short Film 'Big Boss' on Amazon Music
March 24, 2023

In Big Boss, a young woman from Chicago struggles to make it in the unpredictable, callous, male-dominated music industry, only to realize the greater challenge was learning to trust her own instincts. Written and directed by Keke Palmer, this video is her true story of perseverance, self-love, impenetrable faith, and survival of spirit.

Lights to Release 'dEd' in AprilLights to Release 'dEd' in April
March 24, 2023

Flipping the energetic, danceable record on its head (even the tracklist is reversed), dEd, ironically, breathes new life into the album’s 13 tracks with dreamy, electronic reinterpretations. The announcement is heralded by the release of “Voices Carry (dEd version),” which is available now. dEd is available for presave now via Fueled By Ramen.

IDK Links With Rich the Kid for Unfiltered New Single '850'IDK Links With Rich the Kid for Unfiltered New Single '850'
March 24, 2023

Maryland auteur IDK (Ignorantly Delivering Knowledge) keeps the new music coming with his propulsive new single “850” featuring Rich The Kid. Supremely bold and confident, the track demonstrates IDK’s winning brand of showmanship. It follows the blistering 'Radioactive,' which kicked off his 2023 campaign.

Foals Share The New Dan Carey Version Of '2am'Foals Share The New Dan Carey Version Of '2am'
March 24, 2023

Foals unveiled a thrilling new twist on their sound as they release the new Dan Carey version of ‘2am’. The track is the first to be taken from their eagerly anticipated new project ‘Life Is Dub.' ‘Life Is Dub’ sees Dan Carey rework the entire critically acclaimed ‘Life Is Yours’ album through a heavyweight dub prism.