Gatefold cover and 180g high quality virgin vinyl LP comes with a beautiful full color 12-pages magazine-format booklet
 
En las décadas posteriores a la Segunda Guerra Mundial, el espacio exterior estaba en la mente de todos y la ‘carrera espacial’ de los años 50 y 60 no solo produjo esfuerzos innovadores para lanzar satélites artificiales, enviar sondas espaciales a Marte y llevar un ser humano a la luna, sino que también tuvo un gran impacto en la industria del cine y la música, que aprovechaba la fascinación del mundo por los viajes espaciales y las misiones lunares para crear instrumentos capaces de imitar sonidos interestelares imaginarios. Estos efectos espaciales sintetizados que cautivaron la imaginación de toda una generación de jóvenes ecuatorianos coincidieron con un período en el que trabajadores y músicos de provincia comenzaron a llegar a Quito y al puerto comercial de Guayaquil, algunos con la esperanza de encontrar un trabajo regular, otros buscando entrar a las grandes ligas musicales al ser contratado por una de las prestigiosas estaciones de radio urbanas. Estos artistas trajeron riquezas rítmicas a las principales ciudades ecuatorianas que pronto serían testigos de la explosión de lo que se conocería como «Cumbia Andina».

Esa fusión, de electrónica tropical mezclada con melodías andinas y letras que describen la cruel realidad de los migrantes trabajadores, lograron un éxito masivo. Y así, mientras la incipiente ovnilogía ecuatoriana condujo a avistamientos extraterrestres generalizados, los músicos ecuatorianos comenzaron a lanzar varios álbumes que consistían en música tradicional combinada con sintetizadores para llevar su música tradicional a la era espacial. Uno de estos músicos es Polibio Mayorga, quien viajó 160 km desde su ciudad natal de Chisalata hasta Quito, donde mostró su talento al defender el arte de modernizar los ritmos ancestrales de su región (Huaynito, Sanjuanito, Albazo) y muchos otros, utilizando lo último en instrumentos electrónicos. .

Tiene el sentido del humor de un genio y la capacidad de hacer reír a cualquiera, pero sigue siendo discreto, elocuente y humilde…pero como músico es atrevido y visionario, con un estilo intrépido y vigoroso casi imposible de imitar. Polibio Mayorga estableció un lugar único para sí mismo en la vanguardia de la música tropical.
 
ENGLISH
Analog Africa dip into the weird and wonderful world of the Ecuadorean tropical keyboardist Polibio Mayorga.
 
On 12 February 1949 an angry mob stormed into the centre of the Ecuadorian capital of Quito, burning the offices of the city’s main newspaper and its oldest radio station to the ground. 

On that tragic day Radio Quito had just broadcast a local adaptation of H.G. Wells’s The War of the Worlds. The novel – first published in 1898 and famously adapted into a radio series by Orson Welles – is one of the earliest stories to depict a conflict between mankind and a hostile race of extra-terrestrials. The large audience - not understanding that it was pure fiction - believed that intergalactic intelligence had invaded the country as all hell broke loose. Thousands began running the streets of Quito looking for shelter, chaos broke out, causing a deadly stampede. People blamed the broadcaster for the tragedy, formed a dense crowd and stormed Radio Quito, setting it ablaze. Several musicians, who were there performing, were killed.


In the decades after the second world war, outer space was on everyone’s mind and the ‘space race’ of the 1950s and 60s not only produced groundbreaking efforts to launch artificial satellites, send space probes to Mars and land a human on the moon, it also had a huge impact on the movie and music industry which was taking advantage of the world's fascination with space voyages and lunar missions to create instruments capable of mimicking imaginary interstellar sounds. These synthesised space effects that captivated the imagination of a whole generation of young Ecuadoreans coincided with a period in which workers and musicians from the provinces started flocking to Quito and to the commercial port of Guayaquil, some hoping to find regular work, others looking to break into the musical big leagues by getting hired by one of the prestigious urban radio station. These artists brought riches of rhythms to the major Ecuadorian cities who would soon witness the explosion of what would be known as “Andean Cumbia”.

That fusion, of tropical electronics mixed in with Andean melodies and lyrics describing the cruel reality of migrant workers, achieved massive success. And so while budding Ecuadorian UFOlogy lead to widespread extraterrestrial sightings, Ecuadorian musicians began released various albums consisting of traditional music combined with synthesisers in order to bring their traditional music into the space age. One of these musicians is Polibio Mayorga who had travelled 160km from his hometown of Chisalata to Quito where he showcased his talent as he championed the art of modernising his region’s ancestral rhythms - Huaynito, Sanjuanito, Albazo and many others - using the latest in electronic instruments.

After 4 years with Los Locos del Ritmo, one of Ecuador’s most popular bands, Polibio joined Fadisa (Fabrica De Discos S.A) in 1973 as a solo musician and songwriter before becoming their musical director a year later. While there he would team up with saxophonist extraordinaire Olmedo Torres, and for 10 years they would compose and arrange hits, not only for themselves but also for their fellow artists in the Fadisa family. Although Fadisa had countless labels in their roster, the jewel in their crown was Rondador and it was on that imprint that Polibio would release “Ponchito de Colores” and his famous album “La Farra Está Aquí”. With their novel use of Moog synthesiser, both became huge hit records and were broadcast constantly by Cosmopolita and Marañón de Quito – the two major radio stations of the capital. This led to a surge of interest in Andean cumbia, and the subsequent record sales helped to revive the country’s flagging music industry, turning Polibio into Ecuador’s most influential musician. 

Polibio has never considered his music to be “tropical psychedelia” - although he thinks it would make a good name for a band. He has the sense of humour of a genius and the ability to make anyone laugh, yet he remains discreet, eloquent and humble … but as a musician he is daring and visionary, with an intrepid, vigorous style almost impossible to imitate. More than perhaps any of his peers, Polibio Mayorga established a unique place for himself at the vanguard of tropical music. 
 
A1 Junior Y Su Equipo – America Índia
A2 Eduardo Morales Y Su Requinto – Muevase Vecina
A3 Polibio Mayorga – Pañuelo De Seda
A4 Polibio Y Su Vibrafono – Altas Horas
A5 Los Locos Del Ritmo – Llorona
A6 Alcibiades Y Su Banda–  Haciendo Bomba
A7 Olmedo Torres Y Polibio Mayorga – Mi Paisa
A8 Polibio Mayorga Y Su Conjunto – Culebrita Dormida

B1 Orti, Mayorga Y Chiriboga – Muñequita Blanca
B2 Olmedo Torres Y Polibio Mayorga – Unita Mas
B3 Alcibiades Y Su Banda – Bomba De Pobres
B4 Olmedo Torres Y Los Gatos - Don Alfoncito
B5 Polibio Mayorga - Ferrocarril
B6 Orti, Mayorga Y Chiriboga – Di Que Me Amas
B7 Conjunto La Jorga – La Perra Vida
B8 Polibio Mayorga Y Su Conjunto – Cumbia Totorana