La Sonora Dinamita

La Sonora Dinamita is a Colombian musical group that plays cumbia, a South and Latin American music genre popular throughout Latin America. As one of the first cumbia groups to reach international success, it is credited with helping to popularize the genre throughout Latin America, and the world.

The original orchestra was formed in 1960 in Cartagena de Indias under the direction of bandleader Lucho Argaín. It disbanded in 1963, but was re-formed in 1975 under the direction of Julio Ernesto Estrada "Fruko" Rincón, the artistic director of the Discos Fuentes record label.^[1] In 1981, Mélida Yará, better-known as "La India Meliyará" became the lead vocalist.^[2] It was while Yará was the lead singer that the group released its most successful recordings, such as the classic "Mi Cucu." While the group's lineup has changed, it has always featured a strong female vocalist to accompany its ten-piece brass instrumentation, including Mélida Yará, Vilma Díaz, Margarita Vargas, and Susana Velasques.^[2]

The group continues to perform worldwide under the umbrella of Apodaca Music Group, one of the largest management and booking companies for Latin talent.

Discography

• The Rough Guide to Salsa (1997, World Music Network)

References