Los Mirlos appeared on the bill of one of the largest festivals in the world, Coachella, and will perform on the same day as Lady Gaga and Missy Elliott. The news was for its founder, Jorge Rodríguez, to “reach the peak of his career”, but it was not unattainable for the band that had already played in countries like Slovenia “where there was not a Peruvian or a Latin American”. This month, Alex Kapranos, leader of Franz Ferdinand, played ‘The Dance of Los Mirlos’ at his concert in Peru.
“It has been a union of forces,” says Javier Rodríguez, manager of the Amazonian cumbia band and Jorge’s son. The family settled in San Martín de Porres and divided the responsibilities of the musical project and also preserved the fifty-year archive that was eventually turned into a documentary. “I think that not only the trajectory but the support of references in the world such as the DJs who have replicated the works, have made remixes in different countries, and the documentary has also been a transcendental part, influenced us to get to Coachella.”
In the 80s, Argentina almost adopted them. There they participated in the film The holiday of love with Camilo Sesto and Ángela Carrasco. “As they say, no one is a prophet in their own land, but with my brothers we have tried to continue the legacy and explore what more can be done with that beautiful career that our father has. At every festival we have attended, we not only represent cumbia, but also Peru.”
The dance of Los Mirlos. Photo: compositionLR
Amazonian cumbia in a Los Angeles office
Javier Rodríguez traveled to the United States to confirm the presentation of Los Mirlos at Coachella. Although they were invited to festivals in Europe and Mexico, I thought that getting to the festival that attracts 200 thousand people could be difficult.
“I had already seen that the band’s followers placed a lot of emphasis on their legacy and there are many LPS collectors, there is a vintage vibe with Los Mirlos (smiles), they are considered a cult band,” he tells us. Coachella organization had contacted him.
“I traveled to Los Angeles to be able to close the contract and I thought it was going to be more complicated, but when I got to their offices they had posters of the band, they had the vinyl. I said: ‘What is this! They were fanatics.’ I told them the history of the band, I told him that I was Jorge Rodríguez’s son and the truth is that it was incredible. It was not that complex to reach the objective.”
For Los Mirlos every “small” presentation has added up. “We have played at fairs in Peru, weddings, anniversaries, in remote places and at large festivals, that has created a synergy. As a Peruvian band we are the first at Coachella.”
The Amazonian cumbia will be heard on April 11 and 18 in California. Jorge describes this as a “family achievement and for Peru.” At the end of 2024 they could play in Mexico and return to Bogotá for an edition of Estéreo Picnic. “We are already in contact, it remains to be confirmed. I have told my dad: ‘you are opening the market so that other Peruvian bands can come to those festivals,’ says Javier. “The Coachella concert is going to be something epic.”
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