Infopesa

Infopesa, short for Industria Fonográfica Peruana S.A., is a Peruvian record label founded in Lima in 1971 by music producer Alberto Maraví. It is regarded as one of the most important labels in Peru's music industry during the second half of the 20th century, both for the scale of its production—reportedly employing around a hundred workers and issuing more than a thousand records at its peak—and for its role in spreading cumbia amazónica, cumbia norteña, chicha, balada, and bolero nationally and internationally. Its extensive catalog helped shape an image of Peru with a tropical style, associated with provincial music and the so-called "deep Peru." Among the most important artists linked to the label are Los Mirlos, Juaneco y su Combo, Los Pasteles Verdes, Los Pakines, Cuarteto Continental, and various Amazonian and Andean ensembles, several of which reached Latin American markets and international charts. Before founding Infopesa, Alberto Maraví worked as a radio announcer and programmer in Uruguay, hosted the program "Postales del Caribe" on Radio Centenario, served as Billboard's regional correspondent for Latin America, and was an executive at the Peruvian label El Virrey. In 1968 he founded DINSA (Disco Industria Nacional S.A.), a label focused on national production, foreign licensing, and absorbing small record companies. In 1971, after traveling across Peru's coast, highlands, and jungle in search of new artists, he founded Infopesa as a vertically integrated company with recording studios and a vinyl pressing plant in the same industrial complex, allowing control over the entire production process. During the 1970s and much of the 1980s, Infopesa consolidated as one of Peru's leading record labels. A distinctive feature was the importance of the 45 rpm single: given the limited purchasing power of much of its audience and the importance of jukeboxes in bars and Andean cantinas, the seven-inch single was more accessible than the LP, and many bands lacked enough repertoire for a full album. The label covered a wide range of styles: cumbia amazónica, cumbia norteña, chicha, romantic balada, bolero, nueva ola, salsa, and even some rock recordings released exclusively on 45 rpm. This responded to the intention of capturing the tastes of Peruvian audiences of the time, articulating Caribbean, Andean, and Amazonian influences with a strong presence of the electric guitar, originally associated with young Lima surf-rock musicians. Infopesa was linked to artists who became references of Peruvian and Latin American popular music. Los Mirlos, from Moyobamba (San Martín), associated with psychedelic Amazonian cumbia, mixed rock, salsa, cumbia, and psychedelic elements, with emblematic tracks like "La Danza de Los Mirlos." Los Pasteles Verdes, from Chimbote (Áncash), linked to romantic and Andean balada, achieved a gold record and notable impact in countries such as Mexico and Puerto Rico, even appearing on Billboard charts. Juaneco y su Combo, a fundamental exponent of Amazonian cumbia, had "Mujer hilandera," suggested by Maraví from a Brazilian song, become a classic. Cuarteto Continental, an ensemble organically created by the label, popularized tropical versions of various songs, including "Llorando se fue," originally a saya by the Bolivian group Los Kjarkas, whose chain of versions led to the worldwide hit "Lambada" by Kaoma. Infopesa also released recordings by Amazonian groups such as Los Trionix de Rioja, Los Ecos de Yurimaguas, Los Silvers de Iquitos, Sonido 2000 de Tarapoto, and Los Dexters de Uchiza, helping expand the record map beyond Lima and the coast, with a special focus on the Amazon. Over time, various Infopesa releases became cult objects among vinyl collectors, with original discs reaching high prices in ad hoc markets in Peru and abroad.

The birth of INFOPESA is closely linked to the previous career of its founder, Alberto Maraví. Before creating his own label, Maraví worked as a radio announcer and programmer in Uruguay, where he hosted the program "Postales del Caribe" on Radio Centenario, specialized in Antillean rhythms, which also allowed him to connect with the Latin American tropical music circuit. He later served as Billboard's regional correspondent for Latin America and as an executive at the Peruvian label El Virrey, where he became manager of public relations and catalog; this experience also allowed him to learn how the regional music industry worked. In 1968, Maraví founded DINSA (Disco Industria Nacional S.A.), a record label oriented toward national production, exploitation of foreign licenses, and absorption of small record companies. In the early 1970s, however, his interest in the music scenes of different regions of the country led him to travel across coast, highlands, and jungle in search of new artists and groups. On these trips, he identified an intense production of tropical music and cumbia in the provinces, which still lacked systematic record support. Consequently, in 1971 Maraví founded Industria Fonográfica Peruana S.A. (INFOPESA) in Lima, with the purpose of recording and producing the tropical music, cumbia, and balada groups he was discovering throughout the country. INFOPESA was conceived as a vertically integrated company, with recording studios and a vinyl pressing plant in the same industrial complex, which enabled it to supervise and control the entire production process, from sound capture to record manufacturing. During the 1970s and much of the 1980s, INFOPESA consolidated as one of the main record labels in Peru. Various sources indicate that the company employed around one hundred workers, managed a roster of about fifty national artists, and issued more than a thousand records among 45 rpm singles, EPs, and LPs. One of the label's distinctive characteristics was the importance of the 45 rpm format. Given the limited purchasing power of much of the label's audience and the importance of jukeboxes for bars and Andean cantinas, the seven-inch single was more accessible than the LP, and many bands lacked sufficient repertoire for a complete album. Although INFOPESA also released LPs, its catalog relied heavily on these singles, which greatly facilitated the circulation of songs in popular urban and rural spaces. In this way, the label covered a wide range of styles: Amazonian cumbia, northern cumbia, chicha, romantic balada, bolero, nueva ola, salsa, and even some rock recordings released exclusively on 45 rpm. This particular approach responded to the intention of capturing the tastes of the Peruvian public of the time, articulating Caribbean, Andean, and Amazonian influences with a strong presence of the electric guitar, originally associated with young Lima surf rock musicians. INFOPESA was linked to a series of artists who, over time, became references of Peruvian and Latin American popular music. Among them are: Los Mirlos, a musical group from Moyobamba (San Martín), associated with psychedelic Amazonian cumbia, whose repertoire mixed rock, salsa, cumbia, and psychedelic elements, with emblematic songs such as "La Danza de Los Mirlos." Los Pasteles Verdes, originally from Chimbote (Áncash), linked to romantic balada and Andean balada, who achieved a gold record and notable repercussion in countries such as Mexico and Puerto Rico, and even presence on Billboard charts. Juaneco y su Combo, a fundamental exponent of Amazonian cumbia, whose song "Mujer hilandera," suggested by Maraví from a Brazilian song, became a classic. Cuarteto Continental, an ensemble organically created by the label, which popularized tropical versions of various songs, including "Llorando se fue," originally a saya by the Bolivian group Los Kjarkas, whose chain of versions led to the worldwide hit "Lambada" by Kaoma. In addition to these, INFOPESA also released recordings by Amazonian groups such as Los Trionix de Rioja, Los Ecos de Yurimaguas, Los Silvers de Iquitos, Sonido 2000 de Tarapoto, and Los Dexters de Uchiza, contributing to expanding the record map beyond Lima and the coast, with a special focus on the Amazon. Over time, various INFOPESA releases became cult objects among vinyl collectors. It has been noted that original discs from the label reach high prices in ad hoc markets, both in Peru and abroad. Today, INFOPESA remains active as a record label and online store, offering its classic catalog and new reissues in physical and digital formats.

• 1971

  Alberto Maraví founds Industria Fonográfica Peruana S.A. (INFOPESA) in Lima.

• 1970

  During the 1970s and 1980s, INFOPESA consolidates as one of Peru's leading labels, employing around 100 workers and issuing over 1,000 records.

• 1968

  Alberto Maraví founds DINSA (Disco Industria Nacional S.A.), a precursor label.

• Los Pasteles Verdes achieve a gold record and international impact, including Billboard chart presence.

• Cuarteto Continental's version of "Llorando se fue" leads to the worldwide hit "Lambada" by Kaoma.

• INFOPESA releases become cult objects among vinyl collectors, reaching high prices in ad hoc markets.

Classic Peruvian record label specializing in tropical music, cumbia, chicha, balada, and bolero, with a focus on provincial and Amazonian artists; now also an online store for Peruvian music.

• Cumbias Chichadélicas (Peruvian Psychedelic Chicha) (Vinilo Negro)

• Antología Invasora (Edición Limitada Vinilo Color)

• La Fiesta Comenzó (Edición Limitada Vinilo Color)

• Cumbias Chichadélicas 2: + Peruvian Psychedelic Chicha (Vinilo Color)

• Mensaje de Amor (Edición Limitada Vinilo Color)

• Los Charapas de Oro (Edición Limitada Vinilo Color)

• Edición limitada Box Set - 300 copias

• Costa, Sierra y Montaña 45 RPM, 7"

• El Gran Cacique (Edición Limitada Vinilo Color)

• Arre Caballito (Edición Limitada Vinilo Color)

• Fiesta En Oriente (Edición Limitada Vinilo Color)

• Sonideras Peruanas: Cumbias & Guarachas Limpias

1. 1Infopesa - Sello discográfico y Tienda de Música Peruanainfopesa.com
2. 2Infopesa - Nosotrosinfopesa.com
3. 3Infopesa - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Infopesa - Wikipedia (Spanish)es.wikipedia.org