Chicha was an obscure genre from the backcountry of Peru, an unstable crossbreed of local traditions with the belated arrival of rock 'n' roll. Juaneco y su Combo was one of chicha's most popular bands, circa 1970, and some of their vintage recordings have been reissued on CD. Some tracks feature playful melodies and happy, percolating rhythms; others bring Farfisa organ and electric guitars to the fore in a sound not unlike the surf instrumental bands of California, thousands of miles to the north and a decade earlier in time. Even then, a Latin tinge distinguishes Juaneco from Dick Dale or The Ventures.
