Martin Morales CEO of Tiger Milk records was born in Peru to an Andean mother and grandmother. “Andina” means a lady from the Andes, a song from the Andes or a rhythm from the Andes.
Growing up in the coastal city of Lima, it was his grandmother who kept his family’s connection to the mountains alive. She gave Martin a strong sense of the Andes’ traditions. But it was also the music that struck a chord with young Martin. The huaynos and cumbias booming out of radios from roadside restaurants and cafés along the 18 hour journey to get to his Grandmothers home kept him, comforted and joyful. These sounds have never left him.
For this collection ‘ANDINA: Huayno, Carnaval and Cumbia – The Sound of the Peruvian Andes 1968-1978’ Martin along with his fellow compilers, have captured the full-blooded, upbeat spirit of Andean music, recorded at the tail end of the ‘60s through to the late ‘70s – a period when traditional folkloric styles met with sounds which filtered in from elsewhere. In particular, the sound of Peruvian cumbia; imbuing that tropical Colombian style with Andean huayno rhythms and rock-influenced electric guitars, it was a modern confluence of sounds with a distinctive Andean twist.
The track we’re premiering by Los Compadres del Ande is a prime examples of early cumbia Andina.
‘In terms of history, gastronomy, dance, language, geography and music, the world of the Andes is vast. Musically speaking, it’s far too vast to represent on one album and this record does not claim to be a definitive overview of Andean music – we’ve picked the tracks that excite us the most and some which remind me of my many trips to the Andes. From bands rooted in this majestic iconic mountain range, to Lima-based acts that drew inspiration from the sound of the highlands, it’s a high altitude tour that ranges from psychedelic, bombastic big bands to melancholic folk.’
‘ANDINA: Huayno, Carnaval and Cumbia – The Sound of the Peruvian Andes 1968-1978’ is out today on Tiger Milk Records buy your copy here.
Martin has also released a wonderful Cook book in conjunction with this release:’Andina: The Heart of Peruvian Food – Recipes and Stories from the Andes’ buy your copy here.