Sonidero culture and music coming to Los Angeles this month

Sonideros, characterized by massive sound systems, interactive emceeing and street dancing of cumbia and salsa hits, are coming to L.A’s Westlake community on Friday, October 17. 

The event titled “La Cultura Sonidera” looks to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by recreating sonideros, known for their popularity in places like Mexico City, where pop-up street DJs play and mix pre-recorded music at parties, many times taking place in the streets of working-class neighborhoods. 

The event, put together in collaboration with theConsulate of Mexico in Los Angeles,L.A. City Council District 1 and Indentidad Ciudad de Mexico-LA, among other local and city organizations, will bring together multiple sonidos from Santa Ana, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Colombia and others. 

This is the second consecutive year that the event takes place in L.A., a city with one of the largest Latino and Mexican populations. 

Background

Sonidero culture, also known by many as “la música del barrio,” has deep roots within working-class communities. As stated by theDancecult: Journal of Electronic Dance Music Culture, sonidero culture began in the 1940s in Mexico with the arrival of new audio technology like demountable sound systems, speakers, turntables and microphones.

In the 1990s, Mexican sonideros transformed Colombian cumbia into a unique style, which is known today as cumbia sonidera.  

Today, the loud, highly danceable, charismatic and upbeat cumbias have become a loving, cultural musical space for entertainment, community and heritage, in Mexico and across borders. 

More than sonideros, the event will also feature other merging talents and interactive activities, as well as vendors and organizations such asEl Torta Movil, a Mexico City-style torta business;Mujeres Migrantes en Progreso, a nonprofit organization focusing on family reunification for migrants; andI Love Micheladas, a brand of spicy beer cocktail mix.

DJs

Some of the sonidos playing at the event include Ritmo Santanero, an all-vinyl cumbia DJ crew from Santa Ana, consisting of DJs Rigo Suave, Gary Ventura, LX Ramirez and Kevin Hernandez; Turbo Sonidero, a music producer from San Jose, California, with roots in Mexico, who began his project in 2009, developing a unique style that combines cumbia sonidera from Mexico and rap; Sonido Baylando and Sonido Ganas.

 "La Cultura Sonidera" will take place at the Mexican Consulate, 2401 West Sixth Street, Los Angeles 90057 from 6 to 9 p.m., with doors opening as early as 5 p.m. 

Admission is free, but capacity is limited. 

To RSVP, clickhere.