Bet you didn’t know that Peru had an apotheosis of funk and soul, did you. Well, here’s a compilation to prove that between 1968 and 1974 when Juan Velasco Alvarado ruled the country, Nixon was in the White House, and there was world-wide turmoil.
What you get on these discs are various bands that have been influenced by the United States. A wild take of the blues/rock classic “Hey Joe” is filled with percussion and recitation of the lyrics in Spanish, and even better is a Rare Earth-influenced version of Steppenwolf’s acid rock hit “Sookie Sookie.” Lots of garage band sounds pop up, such as Laghonia (“Bahia”) and “Los Holy’s with “Cissy Strut.” Santana wanna-bes are heard by Black Sugar (“Checcan”) and “Los Nuevos Shains (“Pancito Caliente”) yet even better is the influence of soul/R&B from vintage days with the Atlantic label, where Archie Bell and the Drells’ “Tighten Up” influences Thee Image and The Mad’s. If you thought all of Peruvian music was pan flutes, this will open up your eyes and ears.