Beat Swap Meets Cumbia Madness

Today was off to a great start hitting up the Beat Swap Meet 4 year anniversary event in Chinatown.  For all y’all new to the records swap scene, this is by far the most talked about and attended record show in LA County.  We got B-boys battling it out to DJ Renato’s 45s right there in the plaza area, Andy from Record Jungle bringing the latin fire in his “heavy” crates.  Numerous other dealers stocked full of 80s boogie, soul, funk, reggae, latin, and those odd rarities of raregroove.  Lots of guest appearances from local heroes, producers, DJs… This is really an event for everyone, from Reggae Pops to Wutang Diaper wearing babies.   I’m definitely bringing my son to the next one.

There’s a DJ booth out front of the Grand Star with sets ranging from boogie to cumbia to country.   But today the heat was on the inside.  My boy FRESKO got into his usual set of Brazilian but it wasn’t til he started bustin out the Afro Colombian tracks that the party started jumpin!  FRESKO has been doing his thing for years now and is playing monthly at the M bar, definitely check him out.  Up next was LA’s own Buyepongo which I had not seen live yet but had watched numerous clips on youtube.  Its strange how the recorded medium works,… it doesn’t do bands like these justice.  They played an amazing set of stripped down cumbias and Caribbean styled songs.  Instead of a lead accordion they go for a one two knockout of sax and clarinet as leads.  There sound is heavily influenced and inspired by the african rhythms brought to the coastal regions of South America, all funneled through a chicano sensibility and expressed for all to enjoy.



Really had a great time at this show and big props to the guys running the event.  I hope to get in there next time and drop the needle on those eagerly awaiting latin joints from my collection.  Take a listen to the tracks I got at the show.




La Crema - Cisco Kid


Lalo Guerrero