Cumbia, originally from Colombia, became one of Argentina’s most danced popular musics. In Santa Fe, the ‘cumbia santafesina’ developed a cheerful sound with accordion and guitars; in the 2000s, Buenos Aires’ ‘cumbia villera’ added keyboards and street lyrics. Couples and groups dance in the bailantas (dance halls) with simple, swinging side steps and turns.
Colombian cumbia arrived in Argentina in the 1960s through records and touring bands. In Santa Fe, groups such as Los Palmeras (founded 1972) and Los del Bohío created a local style with accordion and a distinctive rhythm that spread across the Litoral and the country. In the 1990s the ‘bailanta’ boom brought tropical music to huge dance halls in Buenos Aires, and around 2000 the cumbia villera, born in the city’s poorer neighbourhoods, voiced the experiences of young people during economic crisis. Today Argentine cumbia — from santafesina classics to new ‘cumbia 420’ and pop crossovers — fills parties, weddings and festivals, and Los Palmeras remain beloved stars.
