King Coya

King Coya, from the Northern Argentine Andes, is the digitalized, imaginary version of Gaby Kerpel, who blends traditional Colombian cumbia and Argentine folklore with electronic music.

Gaby Kerpel is a renowned Argentine composer whose credits include the score to De La Guarda and Fuerza Bruta and a soundtrack on Island Records of the same. His anticipated release, Cumbias de Villa Donde, on ZZK Records is a collection of original down-tempo, electro folklorica that bridges indigenous music out of South America with global dance. Through King Coya, Gaby Kerpel reinterprets classic Colombian and Peruvian cumbias in the Zizek sound. The album includes guest appearances from Grammy-nominated Petrona Martinez and the renowned Cucu Diamantes. It’s the kind of record that rede nes world music, allowing the listener a personal stake in audio globe trotting: King Coya’s music is both accessible and timeless, taking you home to the Andes mountains and beyond.

King Coya tracks came out of live sets at Zizek Club, performing in front of dancing crowds in Buenos Aires. With Cumbias de Villa Donde, his vision of cumbia and electro folklorica is an original take on the genres, in the Zizek spirit, where world music hits the global dance scene. Rich, layered compositions blend new world with old, the East and the West, in an exercise in digital cross-global pollination that has made the Zizek sound famous.

Coya is a term used in Northern Argentina, referring to a local in a yarn cap, reserved in nature and small in stature, playing an instrument like the charango; the mini guitar used in Argentine folk music. Gaby, through King Coya, has made himself into the purveyor of laid-back, electro-folk infused with cumbia, hip hop, and reggae, enriched by voices from diverse global regions, while maintaining the avor of South America. King Coya’s ZZK Records release takes the traditional sound of the Andes and gives it space to reach into new realms and take risks. The result is songs like “El Hueso + Niño que llora en los montes de Maria”, where soulful Petrona Martinez gets reinvented for a multitude of whirling dancers. Some celebrated artists included on the album are Axel Krygier, La Yegros and Gato Muñoz. King Coya also reinvents Lulacruza, Los Tucanes de Tijuana and Tremor in his signature style.

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