Chicha Libre: Rock Band in New York

About Chicha Libre

Chicha Libre is a Brooklyn-based six-piece led by Olivier Conan, built around the Peruvian chicha tradition and its offshoots in cumbia, electrocumbia, and rock. The group reframes vintage South American melodies with electric guitars, organ lines, and rhythm-section drive, treating dance music as material for arrangement and collage. In New York City they’ve been heard at rooms like Knitting Factory, Baby’s All Right, and Barbès, often sharing bills with artists including Friends and Meridian Brothers. Their performances favor groove and clarity over spectacle.