Grupo Jejeje

***Discos Rolas presents Gabriel Dueñez aka Sonido Dueñez’s rebajada mix Grupo Jejeje’s debut eponymous album. Dueñez (born 1947) began DJing as a sonidero at age 13 and is the creator of Monterrey, Mexico’s unique cumbia sound. He is a well-known collector of vallenata, Colombian cumbia, and sonidero records. Dueñez invented cumbia rebajada—dramatically slowed down cumbia—by accident when his turntable’s motor malfunctioned and pitched down the records. After his fans asked for more “rebajadas,” Dueñez modified his turntable to slow down the records and began making rebajada compilations on cassette. Despite being a pioneer of the genre, Dueñez humbly continues to make his rebajada cassettes from home and sell tapes from his stand on the Bridge del Papa over the Río Santa Catarina in Monterrey.

Dueñez has releases on Peerless label’s gold and platinum compilation LPs and is featured in Mirjam Wirz’ Ojos Suaves, Amanda Watkins’ Cholombianos, Vice’s “The Evolution of Cumbia Music in Monterrey,” and elsewhere.

At Discos Rolas’ invitation, Dueñez made his first trip to the United States to perform at the label launch and Grupo Jejeje release party and participate in an artist conversation with Grupo Jejeje in Los Angeles. Dueñez created the first rebajada of an entire album. 2020 release.