Los Mirlos: Tiny Desk Concert

Los Mirlos return to NPR’s Tiny Desk for Latin Music Month with a takeover running from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. The group highlights cumbia’s roots and its regional evolution, tracing the genre back to Afro-Colombian communities and its spread across the Spanish-speaking world. Based in Peru, Los Mirlos are tied to the Amazon, where cumbia became popular among oil workers in the jungle. Founded by Jorge Rodriguez Grández in Moyobamba, the band plays cumbia amazónica, marked by electric, reverb-heavy, surf-rock guitar. During their Desk performance, they share stories and perform tracks including “La Danza de Los Mirlos,” “La Fuga del Jaguar” and “Llanto en la Selva,” featuring musicians such as Jorge Rodríguez Grández on vocals and tambourine.