Cumbia rebajada is a musical subgenre derived fromColombian cumbia andMexican cumbia that emerged inMonterrey,Nuevo León (Mexico).[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Due toColombian immigration to Monterrey in the second half of the 20th century and the importation of records fromMexico City, various musical genres from the South American country became popular, such as cumbia,vallenato, andporro. This popularization through parties would give rise to the phenomenon known as "Kolombia" in places like theIndependencia neighborhood. According to Gabriel Duéñez, a sound engineer for four decades and a collector of Colombian music from Monterrey, the rebajada originated accidentally when the beats-per-minute control on his Sonido Duéñez music player broke down and began to play Colombian music at a slower speed, resulting in a "morerebajado (slowed-down), more watery" rhythm.[6]
Those attending his dances began to request that Duéñez play therebajada music than at its normal tempo. Gabriel and other vendors in Monterrey began selling cassettes and later CDs of reduced versions of popular cumbias. Given the popularity of the music, Colombian music groups in the city began to compose and perform at that tempo. Cumbia rebajada would remain in Monterrey, becoming part of the cultural phenomenon known as cholombiano. The reduced aesthetic would also influence the sonidero, where groups such as Sonido La Changa and Sonido Siboney continued the style by manipulating the tempo of old Colombian songs, turning them into hits in Mexico andCentral America.
According to DJ and music producerToy Selectah, cumbia rebajada is "thedubstep of cumbia." DJs, producers, and musicians of different nationalities have mixed cumbia rebajada with other rhythms such as dubstep andreggae.[5]
Since cumbia rebajada emerged from technological manipulation outside of its live performance,[2][5] it emulates the classic rhythms and instrumental compositions of Colombian cumbia (percussion,bass, andtrumpets) andvallenato (snare drum,guacharaca, andaccordion), but at a slower tempo, approximately 76 beats per minute. This results in a slower rhythm, with the brass instruments (trumpets andsaxophones) and accordions having a deeper sound and the singer's voice lowering.[6][1]