Your Mix Fix: Guaguis

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The word mixtape has plenty of different interpretations. It used to be that mixtapes were actually DJ sets recorded on cassette tapes, but with the coming of the digital music age, the name remained the same, but the definition expanded. Nowadays, people call mixtapes many different things, some of which are not necessarily mixed and most of which were never taped. Here we try to cover them all. In this column, Juan Data gives you a worthy one every week.

DJ: Guaguis
MIXTAPE: 5 de Mayo Mix

Guaguis is the DJing alter-ego of Ali Gua-Gua, the Jarochilanga singer of Kumbia Queers and Ultrasónicas who spends half her time in her native Mexico, the other half in her adopted home, Argentina. Right now, however, she’s touring the East Coast with her sonidero-style sound system and to promote her gigs she recently uploaded this explosive cumbia mixtape.

5 De Mayo Mix explores the connections between Mexican cumbia sonidera and its Argentine equivalent, something she’s in a privileged position to do. It’s all about straight-up cumbia loops with very little, if any, melodic singing, just the breaks, lined up in an almost hypnotic manner in order to keep dancers on the dance floor. Half an hour of just that can be a nightmare if you’re a cumbia hater and disappointing if you expected popular tunes to sing-along to. Or it can be pure bliss if you embrace your inner paisa with a punk-rock fuck-it-all attitude.

Don’t miss this rare chance to check out DJ Guaguis’ mix and let’s all keep our finger crossed, maybe next time she’ll come with the Kumbia Queers.

5 DE MAYO MIX by Guaguis on Mixcloud

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