A house becomes a home when people, sounds and movement inhabit it. The space bears witness to life stages; beginning, middle and end. Malleable, nurtured and sagacious.
In the heart of Miami, Florida is one resonant with rhythm and cultural legacy. Mirroring its surroundings; rooted in steadfast hustle and built by ancestral mosaic. The frame: circa 1930s. The story: penned in the early 2000s.
Groovy riffs, psychedelic twang, spirited drum patterns, vast synths and powerful prose flow through the windows. The Chi-chicka-chi of the Guacharaca to the glissando of Theremin. Enter Casa Cumbia for a world new and familiar, intimate yet expansive.
The creators of these “Vintage Sounds For The End of Times” are Sonora Tukukuy– a band of musician friends formed in 2023, embodying decades of history in Miami’s independent music scene.
Composed of Alex Izaguirre (lead vocals / Theremin), Robert Taninaka (keyboard, samples, drum machine), Jorge Moreno (Guacharaca, percussion, vocals), Daniel “Dito” Resigna (guitar, vocals), Gabriel Ayala (bass, synths, vocals), and Alex Angee (percussion), amassing lineage from Peru, Venezuela, Colombia and Argentina, firmly embedded in their native 305. They honor traditional elements of cumbia with a past-present spectrum of funky, rock and roll grit. The collective formed after long contemplation and possibility that materialized through an organic process.
Now, Sonora Tukukuy is launching their first full-length album, Brave New Cumbia, set for release in 2026. They’re sharing a portfolio of sonic gems with a major live performance at Miami Beach Bandshell on December 18, presented by Rhythm Foundation.
For Sonora Tukukuy, signs of renewal are always on the horizon in song. Since inception, the journey continues to be full circle. Sonora: Latin word for ‘Sonorous.’ Tukukuy: the Quechua word for ‘end.’ In contrast to their namesake, it’s always the beginning of something poignant.
Cultivating Miami’s Sonic Identity:
“It’s been 30 years of being part of the Miami music scene,” says Sonora Tukukuy’s vox/bass/synth lead, Gabriel Ayala, who was a founding member of local Latin funk-rockers, Estacion Local, in the mid to late 90s. He later formed the band, Minimal, in the early 2000s – with 75% of what Sonora Tukukuy is today. Ayala connected with lead vocalist, Alex Izaguirre, who was part of the band, Soniko, in the same timeframe, sharing bills at venues across the city. Ayala adds: “We made a splash with that, kind of revived the scene a little bit on the alternative side ‘en español’ in Miami, always playing music that was a little bit controversial to the scene.”
Pushing on with individual projects until the pandemic’s halt and a series of band hiatuses, they reemerged in 2023 to form Sonora Tukukuy – a therapeutic answer and Moka pot for creativity. Across the layered foundations of each band member, cumbia became a unifier through its global vibration. Having admired Izaguirre’s vocal style for years, Ayala reached out, envisioning his work on specific tracks. In the studio, one-take recordings evolved into hours of writing sessions. Bringing on drummer Alex Angee, Taninaka, Moreno and Resigna to the mix, the band was born.
Building Casa Cumbia:
Having admired Izaguirre’s vocal style for years, Ayala reached out, envisioning his work on specific tracks. In the studio, one-take recordings evolved into hours of writing sessions. Bringing on drummer Alex Angee, Taninaka, Moreno and Resigna to the mix, the band was born.
While cumbia is a genre not often synonymous with Miami, Sonora Tukukuy is making it so through a unique sound, style and value system. “It’s an attitude towards life and everything around you. The more it attaches to local culture and community, the more it pushes it forward. It’s a very sincere approach and we’re proud of that,” Ayala says.
Taking over Angee’s home/ jam space hybrid in Allapattah, they opened their doors to the community to groove during rehearsals, and Casa Cumbia was established.
“At some point, nearly 200 people would show up and just have an amazing time and let cumbia carry the creativity… It is such a generous genre. It’s very accepting. I think the dancing component is something that we never explored in our previous projects. People will just come and sweat cumbia -‘Sudando Cumbia’” Ayala says, referencing the band’s 2024 documentary of the same title. “We find ourselves in a very interesting spot right now, in which people are starting to understand that what we are doing is something that belongs to Miami, and the Miami music scene, as a celebration of who we are.”
The band has stayed true to Allapattah, a vivacious, working class neighborhood in the centre of Miami – once the city’s primary source for food distribution, and previously home to beloved arts centers like Esquina de Abuela. The physical identity that is Casa Cumbia is a century home, just blocks away from the original rehearsal space Minimal worked out of for 15 years. Amidst unyielding gentrification, development and change, the area remains authentic on an artistic and cultural level, and the rehearsal space fuels the band’s best work. “On any given weekend, you find Mexican banda music next door, reggae across the street, full blown merengue parties… No one complains about any of that, because everyone is celebrating that diversity,” states Ayala.
Since releasing their first single in 2023, the band has brought the energy of Casa Cumbia to local venues like ZeyZey, Las Rosas, Orlando’s Ecos Fest, New World Music Hall in Tampa, to Texas’ sonic hotpot; Hotel Vegas (Austin) and Wonky Power (Houston). Ayala notes, “When we get closer to the West Coast and in Texas, they’ve been used to hearing a specific kind of cumbia. They hear our sound and say, ‘It’s very refreshing what you guys are doing. It’s so different.’’
At home, they have performed alongside acts like Sonido Gallo Negro, Jacuzzi Boys, Aura (one of their most-requested songs, the stunning, “Ahi Viene el Sol,” features lead vocalist, Aura Peralta), Paz y Flora, DJ Le Spam and El Dusty, amongst others. Understanding cumbia’s impact across generations and regions, they champion local selectors to warm up every show, including Miami’s own Krishna Villar, Moonbeam Mike, DrMuusica, Francesca, Hunters Of The Alps, Mexico’s, Bial HClap and more.
Cumbia as a messenger – through sound and vision:
Advocating for the city as much as their genesis, Sonora Tukukuy intuitively relays powerful messages connected to time and place not by choice, but of responsibility to act as a voice that reflects the times.
Ayala proclaims that cumbia has always been embedded in “the tenacity and resistance in many of our countries.” His own, Peru, saw discrimination of the music through the 70s and 80s during its golden era of Amazonic and Andean cumbia known as Chicha. “The United States is no different,” he adds, noting the music as sonic resistance against unrest and upheaval due to the current environment. Notably, Sonora Tukukuy’s “Shame On You,” released earlier this year, is an emotional song about heartbreak. “Although it was never meant to make a political stance, our fans and audience organically use it to express their criticism towards what is taking place all around the country regarding immigration and ICE’s methods to enforce our broken policies,” adds Ayala.
“As long as there’s these forces against our community, there will be a presence of us having to say something. But Cumbia alone, by default, is attached to that ‘lucha.’ We’re not the only ones, right? There’s a lot to be said about how resilient our community is, and will be.”
This radiant courage of Sonora Tukukuy’s work is emboldened in the aptly titled, Brave New Cumbia, comprised of fresh works, stellar collaborations and fan favorites. The accompanying artwork was created by the band’s own, Izaguirre – graphic artist and owner of Mamut Creative– responsible for their vibrant show flyers and proudly-worn merch. Discovering a 4×4 foot board that was sitting in his studio for years, he was inspired to create a large scale collage.
Izaguirre’s artist statement reads, “The piece celebrates how cumbia—rooted in Latin American tradition—has evolved into a powerful force within American culture, influencing music, nightlife, and art far beyond its origins. With a playful nod to Brave New World, the collage mirrors the sensory overload of modern life while reframing it as a celebration of cultural fusion, showing how these rhythms and symbols continue to reshape the American creative landscape.”
Izaguirre’s work is linked to music, social justice and use of color, with influences that range from graphic novels, rock & roll, patterns and traditional printing techniques. Drawing from iconic visual language within posters highlighting Mexican Sonideros and Peruvian Chicha jams, Izaguirre ensures alignment with iconic, regional flair. “I make my own Miami version of what that could be using the neon colours and street elements that we see here; the rooster, the alligator, the chancla, the cafecito,” says Izaguirre, who is the visionary behind many graphic and promotional works for other artists across the city.
Wato Tukukuy – con parranda!
On Thursday, December 18, 2025 the band will honour their enterprise to date with a massive show at Miami Beach Bandshell. “It’s going to be a celebration of these two years. No pretensions – inviting friends, family, people who’ve followed us since day one. Come over! You’re part of this as much as we are,” says Izaguirre.
It’s a cyclical moment for Sonora Tukukuy – both for their admiration of the beloved open air North Miami Beach venue, to their shared community-driven ethos of the show’s presenter, Rhythm Foundation, and what they have contributed to local arts. “It’s everything that’s right about enhancing our city,” Ayala says with praise. “And there’s no better time to dance to Cumbia than Diciembre!”
Concluding 2025 with such reverence feels right – and although many moments throughout a given year may feel like ‘el fin del mundo,’ the band would want “the world to catch us dancing Cumbia.”
“We definitely live in times that feel like it’s the end of humanity and the end of many things,” Ayala notes. “We also understand that it is nothing more than the beginning of something new. 2026 is a year that we want to be able to take our sound as far as possible to new audiences, with the responsibility of representing South Florida always.”
Sonora Tukukuy will perform at Miami Beach Bandshell on Thursday, December 18, 2025. Part of The North Beach Social, Third Thursdays at the Bandshell – Rhythm Foundation’s free monthly meet-up for their music-loving community. Tickets are free with RSVP here.
Their new album, Brave New Cumbia, is out in early 2026 – pre-save the first single.
Connect with Sonora Tukukuy: Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify | LinkTree
Words by Ola Mazzuca (@olamazz)
Photography by Rhandy Adolphe (@sambaranthony)
