As with the previous post on Africa, this will only scratch the surface of psychedelia from Latin America. Most of the countries included here have had, or has, unique and thriving psychedelic scenes, and this blog is simply a brief glimpse into some of this music. With minimal coherency:

Os Mutantes (Brazil)

Only appropriate to start with Os Mutantes. A key band in the Brazillian tropicália movement that began in the late 60’s in opposition to the countries military dictatorship, tropicália was far more revolutionary, in a literal sense, than anything from Haight Ashbury or London at the same time. Os Mutantes were not greatly known outside of Brazil originally, but now have a devoted cult following worldwide, with their blissful, psychedelic sound (also one of Kurt Cobain’s favourite bands, apparently). Very much music to put you in a good mood, listen to their legendary namesake album here, and their track Ando Meio Desligado below.

M.A.K.U Soundsystem (Colombia)

Contemporary Afro-Colombian led band based in New York, according to their bio their music “embodies an active quest for identity through sound and bodies in motion”. From a review: “M.A.K.U’s distinctive sound is enriched with a variety of musical backgrounds brought to the table by each of its members. Although not inherently discernible there are hints of Colombian Folklore, Psychedelic-rock and Caribbean grooves. Lyrically M.A.K.U talks about the realities of everyday people, encompassing love, hardships, culture, and the immigrant experience, but with a positive, spiritual and sometimes humorous spin.” Listen to their song Canto Negro below, and check out their bandcamp here.

Bwana (Nicaragua)

A short-lived psychedelic, acid jazz, latin funk, hammond organ laden (standard) band recording circa 1970-72. Sadly the group ended after devastating earthquakes in Nicaragua in 1972, but the two LPs they did record are pure gems. Listen to the track Tema de Bwana below, and to the album this comes from here.

Traffic Sound (Perú)

Traffic Sound were one of the seminal psychedelic groups playing in the Perú during the late 60’s/early 70’s, and the first Perúvian rock group to record an entirely original album. Their sound was highly influenced by British bands, but also mixed with Latin rhythms and horn sections, and occasionally delving into acid folk, creating their own unique take on 60’s psych. Listen to their song La Camita below, and to their album Virgin here.

Boogarins (Brazil)

Atypical psych-pop from Brazil, Boogarins for me are a more interesting outfit when it comes to this genre than their western counterparts. Their melodies are unpredictable, and their songs carry an experimental feel whilst remaining within a pop genre. Very much in the tradition on tropicália also, they use their music to raise social awareness, with tracks like Avalanche reflecting the unrest in the runup to Brazil’s world cup. Listen to their performance of their song Falsa Folha de Rosto on KEXP below and check out their bandcamp here.

Novos Baianos (Brazil)

One of the most influential bands playing in Brazil during the late 60’s/early 70’s, to the point their album Acabou Chorare was voted the best album in Brazilian music by Rolling Stone magazine. Incorporating psychedelia, samba rock, bossa nova and tropicália, you’d be hardpressed to find music more blissful than this. Listen to their song A Menina Dança below, and to their album Acabou Chorare here.

The Pacific Band (Argentina)

Remarkably little info exists about this band online. They seem to have recorded a single record in the early 70’s consisting of two psychedelic funk songs. Listen to half of their output below. Oddly enough this track is the B-side, and I’m not entirely clear what the deal is with the A-side. If you can find any more info let me know, cause this is good stuff.

Chichos de Nazca (Chile)

This post would be incomplete without including music from Chile’s (specifically Santiago’s) burgeoning psych scene. Chichos de Nazca are a project formed by members of various bands from this scene, playing often ambient, atmospheric grooves with influences from shoegaze. Listen to their track Street Social Scene below, bandcamp here.

Vox Dei (Argentina)

Founded in the late 60’s, Vox Dei first gained recognition through recordings with the radical Argentinean record label Mandioca. Their earlier work is vintage hard psych, percussion heavy and shredded guitar with guttural vocals, they later moved to a more prog sound (even recording Argentina’s first concept album). Listen to their track Reflejo tuyos y mios below and the album this is from here.

Gilberto Gil (Brazil)

An original driving force behind tropicália, Gilberto Gil has been a trailblazer in whatever creative or political endeavour he has put his mind to. A career which has seen him experiment with all range of genres, few other artists can boast a repertoire such as his. As a Vinyl Factory review puts it: “Received wisdom in the music business cautions against an artist spreading their output over too wide a diversity of styles: people will get confused and the music will fall through the cracks. It is advice the singer, guitarist and songwriter Gilberto Gil has ignored. Instead, he has followed his muse wherever it took him, be it to bossa nova, samba, tropicália, axé, reggae, West African highlife, jazz fusion or flat-out disco boogie. And he has recorded masterpieces in all of them.” Picking one song out of this is reductive to say the least, but listen to one of his psychedelic compositions Cérebro Eletrônico below, and check out the Vinyl Factory article for an intro to his work.

Miguel Angel Fuster (Venezuela)

One of a few left-field, experimental, and highly impressive artists recording in Venezuela during the 70’s. Not music for popular appeal, this stuff is way ahead of its time to the point that it is genuinely hard to believe some of it is not contemporary. Miguel Angel’s sound has a strong jazz element to it, mixing it with experimental rock, elements of funk, and electronic instrumentation. Listen to his track Polvo Lunar below. Couldn’t find an album of his anywhere, listen to another of his songs Dame de Comer here, limited amounts of his work are also on Spotify.

Los Destellos (Perú)

A founding band of Perúvian Cumbia, or as it has come to be known, Chicha. A sub-genre of Cumbia, for many decades this music was little played outside of working class Perúvian communities. “Chicha takes the feel of cumbia, the timing and ‘tropical’ sound, adds elements of huayno (from the Perúvian Andes), criollo (classic Perúvian folk music) as well as the Afro-Perúvian music that the slaves would play, along with influences from Brazil, France, Cuba and Chile.” Surf and psychedelic guitar is added to to create beautifully mellow, usually short songs. Listen to Mi Noche de Amor by Los Destellos below and see here and here for Perúvian Cumbia compilations.

Los Beans (Mexico)

Another band for which little info exists online, other than they were from Reynosa, Tamaulipas in Northern Mexico, recording in 1970 and released only 2 records. Info aside, they have an infectious funked up hard psych sound, on the intersection of the funk scene and the garage rock/fuzz scene in Mexico at this time. Listen to their track Por Sor Negro below, poorly google translated article about the band here.



The Dhag Dhags (Bolivia)

From a review: “The Dhag Dhags were a trio of teenagers from La Paz led by the brilliant Javier Sandoval. “Type Sicodélico” is an original composition, written in English, probably the first recording of psychedelic music in Bolivia.” Part of a range of bands in Bolivia at the time playing surf, garage punk and psychedelia, check out a compilation of these bands here, and listen to more of The Dhag Dhags here.

Laghonia (Perú)

The inspiration behind many of the psychedelic rock bands that formed in Perú in the late 60’s/early 70’s, from a review: “ Few countries in South America had such a fertile Psychedelia/Progressive scenario as Perú with great quality bands like the legendary TRAFFIC SOUND, TELEGRAPH AVENUE or EL POLEN, but all this groups had something in common, they all gathered to watch LAGHONIA in concert, not only to listen the only band in Perú and probably the first in South America that used a Hammond B2 back in the 60’s, plus the obvious interest on the polyrhythmic songs they used to play.” Listen to their classic song Bahia below and the equally classic album this comes from, Glue, here.

Montibus Communitas (Perú)

A contempoary ambient/psychedelic/drone/acid folk collective from Perú, playing long-form improvisational compositions. Their music is deeply hypnotic and meditative, fusing earthly sounds with strings, guitars, soft percussion and distant vocal overdubbing. This is music which were it not entirely sincere would simply not land, but works exquisitely when done right. Fans of Kikagaku Moyo’s more improvisational work will likely enjoy this music. Listen to their track The Pilgrim Under the Stars below, bandcamp here.

Chicano Batman (Various Countries)

Based in an East L.A Latinx neighbourhood (East Los), with members with El Salvadorian, Colombian and Mexican heritage, their sound mixes funk, R&B, Latin soul and psychedelia. Highly influenced by Brazillian tropicália also, their music is often politically charged, with Woody Guthrie songs making up their repertoire. Their song Itotianin below, bandcamp here.