From In Pierre music and all songs considered, I'm Robin Hilton.

Cumbia is one of the most lasting and influential musical traditions of Latin America.

Even though it might not be the first genre or style people think of when they think of Latin music.

On the special encore episode of In Pierre's Al Latino Felix, Contreras, and Jasmine Garz,

breakdown what exactly Cumbia is and why it's remained the musical backbone of the Americas for so long.

From In Pierre music, this is Alt Latino. I'm Jasmine Garz.

And I'm Felix Contreras. That is the sound of my youth.

No, that's the sound of my youth. It's the sound of my youth.

Well, it's a testament to how enduring Cumbia music has been throughout Latin America.

But that's the sound of your youth in California and 70 years later.

I don't think so. It's the sound of my youth in Argentina.

You know, it's the sound of my parents' music.

It's the sound of 1960s Cumbia from Mexico. That's what this is.

This is Cumbia del Sol. And this particular song was like at every house party, every wedding.

In any time there were more than three chickenos you get together, this song came out.

This is Cumbia music. Cumbia is the musical backbone of Latin America.

It doesn't matter where you go. I mean, in the US everyone knows about salsa,

meeting, maybe, bachata. Forget about that.

Everywhere you go in Latin America. From tierra del fuego, the tip of Argentina.

It's probably, you know, in the North Pole, some Mexican.

Chicano snowmen in the North Pole. They dance Cumbia.

And today we're going to talk about why that is. Why Cumbia is really the first pan-latin party music.

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