Cumbia cheta is back and the creator of Rombai explains the details of the viral boom

Ten years ago, a series of hits from the Uruguayan band Rombai catapulted them to fame, they were the group of the summer, they starred in a film about their short career and their leader was invited to participate in the Dance From ShowMatch in 2016.

There was no party that didn’t broadcast them, nor any radio that didn’t broadcast them. The cry of “Rombai, party!” I lit the spark for everything to take hold, and it did The group renewed and revolutionized the cumbia genre with pop elements.

To all this, the usual detractors assured that it was “simply a passing fad” and that the music was “cumbia quiet“.

Apparently, this trend did not die out and was renewed summer after summer, because he is its leader Fer Vázquez he had more successes, both with Rombai (Crazy things with you, Me too, Curiosity, Goodbye) as his alter ego Marama (Crazy night) and his solo career (Involuntarily, Collecting).

Today, ten years later, Fer is once again at the top of the summer charts with two recorded songs Cami Rajthe original singer of Rombai, who left the group in 2016 (she was replaced by Emilia Mernes).

The latest one came out in the first week of the year and was called Until dawnwhile the previous one – at the end of last November – was christened none other than Cumbia calmwhich generated an impressive viral demand for the genre’s return (#VolvióLaCumbiaCheta).

A special fact is that the song was created organically with his followers on Tik Tok and they shared the process of creating a hit.

The return

In a conversation with Clarín, Fer Vázquez begins by saying that: “We put Cumbia calm because we felt it was like the return of that genre that started with us, a bit as a label.”

He adds: “We always told Cami that we didn’t agree because we don’t feel like we’re making music for a special socioeconomic sector, nor did I feel like I was keto! But, well, people classified it that way and we decided not to go against this.”

-Do you feel like that style is gone and today it’s making a comeback?

-And… maybe the cumbia cheta didn’t sound like much. People are changing and you see it in the top 50 most listened to lists on Spotify, YouTube or on the radio.

-You yourself have ventured into other genres.

-Of course yes. It depends on taste and people vary. Now it’s as if they were saying: “We miss this style that we liked so much. People have reconnected with the genre.

-What would be the musical characteristic of cumbia cheta, or was it more of a question of image?

-Maybe it was more pop than cumbia. That’s why it’s a good idea for me to call it “cumbia pop.” It was different, a little faster BPM-wise, tempo-wise, and had poppier structures and melodies.

As for the concept, it was almost always about groups of friends having fun, not exactly looking for a job or something professional, but more for a free spirit, happiness and youth.

-Did you realize that those first hits have become classics and that there are 25-year-old people who have been listening to them since they were 15?

-Yes. Two years ago. They started stopping me on the street and saying “Thank you for the summers you gave me.” Others told me “You were my childhood”. But I’m not that veteran either!

-All of this is an immense joy, because music is magical. He has that thing where you never know in what way you are accompanying the other and in what way you are marking him. I’m happy that they support and support us for so many years.

The beginnings

-What was the landscape like in Uruguay when you started?

-I started making music when I was 16. He had another band called Estilo Libre and we toured Uruguay several times, until I was 20. There are a lot of small places that are nice, but obviously it would have been difficult, so I went to Argentina and it was a beautiful step. .

That leap allowed me to dedicate myself to this one hundred percent forever. In those early days it was simply a matter of doing what you felt and nothing more. I remember my desire to be able to dedicate myself to music, thinking “I need several factors to align” and putting a little effort into it. It was my biggest dream and today I’m making it come true. So from that moment on everything else is a gift from God.

-Were there any key moments or shows in the early years?

-The Great Rex was our first show where I really felt like we were onto something special. That we were a real music band. As before, I didn’t really understand if we were fucking or what. And it was a really good show, even if we weren’t up to it, because it was a pretty simple show.

-From afar it seems like everything was very intense.

-What we went through was extreme madness. Having a lot of exposure and having people come up to us and tell us the nice things they feel about our music. Also know how to handle criticism. And we never stopped, we did many shows, we slept little and ate little.

They were extreme situations and we had to know how to handle them, so they left me with many lessons and very beautiful memories. With music there is no faculty, so over the years you start doing and gain experience and knowledge.

-Any advice for someone who is starting out and has a lightning boom like yours?

-My advice is the same one I gave to myself: this is not a short race, it’s a marathon. If you think of it as, “I’m going to release two songs and see what happens,” it doesn’t work that way. It’s like “I’m going to go to the gym for two days to see what happens” or “I’m going to upload two videos to TikTok to see what happens.”

You don’t have to spend two or three years doing this work, but it’s something constant, having fun and getting rid of the shyness of showing what you do, first to your closest circle. Rejoice and do.

-How did you adapt to platforms and social networks?

-When we started, Spotify wasn’t there. Yes, there was Facebook and YouTube. Also Instagram, which we used a lot. Also Twitter, but I’m not a big fan and stopped using it because I felt it was a platform that only uploaded reviews. I try to be as happy as possible and I go on Twitter and out of 100 comments there are 98 harsh criticisms and two neutral ones. So there is nothing good. It’s not that I have anything against the platform, but I don’t like the dynamic.

TikTok began to thrive during the pandemic. I shyly got to know the platform and started having fun. At first I didn’t understand anything, but a year and a half ago I started to get the hang of it and understood communication on TikTok, which is essential for being able to get in touch with new audiences.

Next steps

-How is this year going with your projects and releases, Rombai with Cami or without Cami?

-With Cami the truth is that we said “We do what we feel”, as we did with Cumbia calm and then we did it again with Until dawn. We did a show in Punta del Este, for example, but everything happened naturally and we have no future plans.

It’s all no pressure, without much planning. He’ll also start releasing more songs like “Fer Vázquez”, so I won’t just have to do cumbia cheta or have to do a certain genre. I want to mix and look into the funniest things.

-With other pop artists, who do you have the closest relationships with?

-I met Miranda!, I met Russia and much more. I have good vibes and I admire them. Today everything is mixed and this is good, because it has allowed Argentine or River Plate music to reach other countries and become more international.

Before I felt there was a barrier between the rocker and the cumbiero, everything was very structured and no one wanted to look from the side. Today I think all the limits have been overcome a little, fortunately, because it’s really beautiful. When two very different styles mix, something new is generated for people, who consume it again as a novelty.

-In your case, in which other countries has your music been more successful?

-In South America: Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay. I’ve also played in Mexico and Spain, which are two giant countries where I feel like even though I’ve done some things, I’d like this year to be able to continue to advance and connect with those audiences. You set goals and dreams and achieve them.