Los Mirlos in Charleston

Los Mirlos are a Peruvian band formed in 1973 in Moyobamba, in the country’s Amazon region, and led by singer and bandleader Jorge Rodríguez Grández. Their psychedelic, guitar-led cumbia became closely associated with the Amazonian cumbia sound. Their best-known recordings include “Sonido Amazónico,” “La Danza de los Mirlos” and “Eres Mentirosa.” In 2024, Los Mirlos performed a full-band Tiny Desk Concert for NPR, bringing their electric-guitar melodies, percussion and vocals into the series’ compact setting. The following year, they performed at Coachella, placing the music developed in the Peruvian Amazon on the festival’s stage in California.