Digital cumbia legend Amantes del Futuro will perform on Halloween at ZZK Records’ CUMBIATECA night.

Originating from the coastal regions of Colombia, cumbia is one of the most beloved dance traditions in all of Latin America. A fusion of Indigenous, African, and Spanish influences, the infectious folk dance is characterized by its distinct syncopated rhythm (cha-chacha-cha), and has been popular across Latin America for over eight decades with unique regional variants developing in Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Chile, and beyond. While traditional cumbia typically features percussion, accordion, and wooden gaita flutes, contemporary forms of the genre have emerged in the past decades expanding the instrumentation to include electronics, synthesizers, and digital soundscapes.

One of the great torchbearers of digital cumbia is Ima Felini aka Amantes del Futuro (Lovers of the Future). Since 2002, Felini has reimagined cumbia for the future with his Super Cumbia Futurista collective in Mexico City, various projects such as Afrodita, Agrupación Cariño, Wendys, along with his solo project Amantes del Futuro. His sound is rooted in the classic traditions — “Colombian cadence, sonidero pulse, rebajada drag, villera fire, Peruvian chicha” — but also draws from house, techno, dub, hip-hop, and various dance traditions from around the world. He has cited Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, Autechre, Kraftwerk, Dee Lite, Lee “Scratch” Perry, and Kruder & Dorfmeister as influences, along with Latin artists El Paso del Gigante, Grupo Soñador, Sonido La Changa, Rigo Tovar, and Los Bukis.

In an interview with Bad Bone Magazine, Felini shared his perspective on cumbia, “For me, cumbia is very much a mystical Latin musical style that unites many Latin American countries… Cumbia is a very old rhythm that integrated Indigenous, African, and Spanish / Western cultures. For me, cumbia means union.”

Listen to one of our favorite Amantes del Futuro tracks from his classic 2019 album Sabor Sónico, “El Cumbé,” which features the lyrics: “Por qué todos se matan? Pudiendo bailar la Cumbia… Por qué todos se matan? Pudiendo vivir tranquilos…” or “Why is everyone killing themselves? When they can dance cumbia… Why is everyone killing themselves? When they can live in peace…”

2025 has been something of a breakout year for Felini, though his international profile has been steadily rising over the past decade. Earlier this year, he performed a set at Boiler Room’s SYSTEM CDMX: Sonidero Special, which shined a light on the city’s rich soundsystem (sonidero) scene. He also performed at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago for their Gallery Session series.

Later this month on Halloween, Amantes del Futuro will be headlining CUMBIATECA, “a dark fusion of tropical futurism and mutant Latin beats,” put on by our friends at ZZK Records. Not to be missed, the “cumbia rave” event will also feature Mediopicky, Orihuela MSS, Biomigrant, and DJ Ethos.

Tickets are available now. Don’t miss it!