Cumbia villera or the complex construction of masculinity and femininity in contemporary Argentina

SEMÁN, PABLO; GALLO, GUADALUPE

Youth identities in Argentina: beyond tango

Palgrave-Mac Millan

Año: 2012; p. 1 - 16

Since its introduction in the early sixties by groups like Los Wawanco (a group of mostly Colombian and Central American students living in Argentina), Colombian cumbia rapidly became a dance of choice for Argentine popular sectors (an Argentine sociopolitical term that encompasses working-class and lower-middle-class people). Its popularity was particularly marked in Buenos Aires?s suburbs and the suburbs of other major cities of the country, where many of its followers were internal migrants from the countryside. In strict musical terms cumbia villera operates with a limited number oF resources unified by a dual objective: to be the sonic support for the clear transmission of the song?s message, and to serve as a rhythmic impulse transmission of the song?s message, and to serve as a rhythmic impulse. In strict musical terms cumbia villera operates with a limited number of resources unified by a dual objective: to be the sonic support for the clear transmission of the song?s message, and to serve as a rhythmic impulse transmission of the song?s message, and to serve as a rhythmic impulse for the dance.