Tropa Magica
Tropa Magica Uphold Tradition and Mexican Identity With Psychedelic Cumbia Rock
Brothers David and Rene Pacheco, co-founders of psychedelic cumbia act Tropa Magica, remember the moment all their hard work in the L.A. music scene finally paid off. Backstage after playing the 2017 Tropicalia Fest in Long Beach, California, the pair introduced their father to the pioneering norteño Mexican group Los Tigres del Norte, who have released around 50 albums since 1968. “Our dad was like, ‘Ya la hicieron,’ (‘you made it’),” David tells SPIN. Rene recalls that he was on acid — and says the occasion was so magical, he cried (though he also notes it could have just been the acid itself). Even so, the experience affirmed the trajectory of the band’s decade-long career. “To me, that meant the world: just getting to have our parents meet some of their favorite musical ...
