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Los Mirlos: The Peruvian Legends Behind Cumbia Amazonica
This year, Coachella’s lineup featured a groundbreaking act: Los Mirlos, the legendary Peruvian band famous for their psychedelic cumbia, became the first Peruvian cumbia group to perform at the festival. With over fifty years of music under their belt, Los Mirlos brought the vibrant sounds of the Amazon straight to the California desert, and the crowd absolutely loved it.
Their two sets at the Sonora tent during Coachella 2025 weren’t just nostalgic throwbacks. They were alive, loud, and impossible to ignore. Dressed in jungle-inspired outfits custom-designed with Adidas, the band performed in front of a crowd of around 5,000 people each weekend, mixing hypnotic guitar riffs, echo-heavy keyboards, and wild rhythms that created a full-body experience. For many in the crowd, it was their first time hearing this style of cumbia. For Los Mirlos, it was a well-earned global stage after 50+ years of putting in the work.
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How It All Started
Los Mirlos was founded in 1973 in Lima, Peru. But the story really begins in Moyobamba, a city deep in the Amazon jungle. That’s where Jorge Rodríguez Grández grew up, surrounded by tropical rhythms and the sounds of the forest. His dad played the accordion, cumbia records from Colombia were always playing, and eventually, Jorge decided to form his own group, Los Saetas, when he was still a teenager.
By the time he turned 20, Jorge had moved to the capital and started a new band: Los Mirlos. Named after the jungle’s blackbirds, their mission was simple: blend the energy of Amazonian life with the groove of cumbia, and do it in their own unique style. From the start, their sound stood out. It wasn’t traditional cumbia. It had electric guitars, psychedelic keyboards, hypnotic percussion, and a vibe that felt both grounded and otherworldly. That blend became known as cumbia amazónica (also called chicha), and Los Mirlos were at the forefront of it.
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In the ‘70s and ‘80s, Los Mirlos became popular across Peru and into Latin America. They released album after album (almost 30 total) and toured in countries like Argentina, Colombia, Bolivia, and the U.S. Their sound showed up in movies, at street parties, and on radio stations from Lima to Buenos Aires. Even during tough decades for the music industry in the region, they stayed active. At one point, Jorge flew to the U.S. just to find better music gear. He honed his skills on the electric organ and guitar, making the band’s sound even more unique.
Through the 2000s and 2010s, their fan base kept growing. DJs began sampling their music, cumbia found its cool factor again in global music circles, and new generations of artists started citing Los Mirlos as an influence. Their tracks like “La Danza de Los Mirlos,” “El Lamento de la Selva,” and “Sonido Amazónico” became essential records for cumbia lovers around the world.
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Today, Jorge Rodríguez still leads the band. But now, it’s a family project. His sons Jorge L. Rodríguez and Roger Rodríguez have joined him on stage, one on keys and guitar, the other on vocals and güiro. The full group includes Danny Johnston, Dennis Sandoval, Carlos Rengifo, Genderson Pineda, and Junior Soto. Together, they’ve turned Los Mirlos into a multi-generational act with one mission: to keep the jungle beat alive.
In 2022, a documentary called La Danza de Los Mirlos was released, showcasing rare footage and telling the full story of the band. Directed by Álvaro Luque, the film helped bring in new fans and attracted the attention of major festivals. That’s when “Coachella called.” The plan was to bring them in 2024, but visa issues delayed the performance. So they waited, regrouped, and finally made it happen in 2025.
Coachella, LA, and What’s Coming Next
At Coachella, Los Mirlos performed for two weekends at the Sonora stage. The crowd wasn’t just Peruvians or Latin Americans: it was global. People danced, phones were out, and the band delivered the same energy they’ve been giving since the 1970s. No big special effects, just the sound of the Amazon turned all the way up.
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In between sets, they played a sold-out show at The Roxy in LA as part of their Ayahuasca Tour, opened for Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, and met with artists like Camilo Lara from the Instituto Mexicano del Sonido. They’ve also announced a remastered version of their album “El Milagro Verde,” coming out on May 2, plus a new collaboration project featuring classic songs reworked with new artists. The release will drop under Revancha, an indie label with Peruvian roots now making international moves. There’s also talk of a book about the group’s history. And they’ve got dreams of touring Japan and Australia, places they haven’t touched yet.
Fifty years in, Los Mirlos aren’t slowing down. They’ve influenced acts from Damas Gratis to modern DJs, played festivals from Buenos Aires to LA, and now they’ve made their mark at Coachella. Their cumbia started in the jungle, traveled through the Andes, made its mark in the city, crossed borders, and is now rocking stages worldwide. Coachella wasn’t a comeback. It was a milestone.
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