Cumbia, the funky Colombian groove revered throughout Latin and South America, is the hot beat right now. Diplo plays it, SF’s Tormenta Tropical party endorses it, and New York’s Barbes label has issued rare Peruvian Cumbia collections to spread the word. Now, an Argentinean party contingent will bring the sound to the masses on a U.S. tour kicking off at South By Southwest.

Argentina’s Zizek Urban Beats Club producer/DJ collective will bring its hip-hop, dancehall, cumbia, and reggaetón, grime, crunk and mashups mix to select North America cities in March. For a preview, Zizek have made available some choice remixes and productions so U.S. audiences can get a sense of their sabor (flavor).

In just a year’s time, Zizek has become the most innovative and popular party in Buenos Aires, with producers coming out of the woodwork eager for a new space to showcase their talent and wares in South America. The Zizek tour pledges to take their sound from Argentinean party to a full-fledged, multi-faceted international movement.

The star of Zizek’s nights has been cumbia, a Latin American sound born from the fusion of old and new worlds in Colombia that was formerly looked down on as dance music for the lower classes in Argentina. Now, cumbia is fusing with electronic music and catching fire across the globe, much the way Brazilian samba and batucada beats have in the past. Zizek brings and urban, avant garde and outright exuberant edge to cumbia and other Latin musics. Check them live in a city near you.

Dates
03/13 Austin, TX: Ninety Proof Lounge, Austin, TX (SXSW Showcase)
03/14 Austin, TX
03/15 Austin, TX
03/17 New York, NY: S.O.B.’s
03/21 Chicago, IL: Sonotheque