21 July 17 - 23, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Para La Gente Dallas DJ Bocho Gravedad is connecting cumbia rebajada to the people. BY AKSHAJ TUREBYLU W hat if we told you the best underground party in Dallas-Fort Worth currently is not only outdoors, but it’s family- friendly? This bass-rattling, dance-circle-in- ducing rocking block party under the freeway is open primarily to those who know. And if you know, you know that we’re talking about Cumbia 319 (@cumbia.319), the renegade cumbia group led by Bocho Gravedad. Cumbia is a global phenomenon that is not only heard but felt throughout DFW. Derived from folk Afro-Colombian communities along the Caribbean coast, cumbia’s intoxi- cating rhythms are a staple source for con- temporary Latin dance music. What distinguishes cumbia rebajada from the more popular, “original” cumbia colombiana is a sense of gravity (or, gravedad). Analogous to Houston’s chopped and screwed take on hip- hop beats, cumbia rebajada takes jaunty, punchy cumbia rhythms and slows them down. The center of gravity for the pitch sits low. It’s a gradual hypnosis. Gravedad’s hometown of Monterrey, Mexico, in the state of Nuevo León, is the home of the cumbia re- bajada style. Love for the style was passed on to Gravedad, a DJ, from his musically ori- ented family. “My dad and my mom, they used to do dance competitions [in Monter- rey],” Gravedad says. “One of my cousins is a record collector, especially a cumbia collec- tor.” It was only a matter of time before Gravedad began collecting himself. After moving to Dallas, Gravedad has transformed these experiences to champion his cultural heritage. In the past year and a half, he’s cre- ated a powerful movement behind cumbia rebajada in the DFW area. Alongside him is a dance crew led by whose dramatic perfor- mances range from serpentine to leonine. The crew is led by Saules, “the best dancer in town,” Bocho tells us, originally from San Luis Potosí. Because movement is just as inte- gral to the people building to a renaissance of cumbia rebajada in Dallas. Saules mixes San Luis and Monterrey styles, leaning into the sense of gravitas pro- vided by cumbia rebajada, to create large, im- posing silhouettes with terrifying mugs to match right up until breaking character and letting out a smile. The precision and grace of each movement are winkingly concealed un- der the crew’s baggy streetwear. In a joint ef- fort, Gravedad and the rest of the Cumbia 319 team have been hosting large block parties that began with little more than a generator, speakers and a turntable. “We started a move- ment on the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge,” Gravedad recollects. Since September 2024, these occasional parties, organized and an- nounced on an impromptu, informal basis, have drawn crowds of over 700. One of the most powerful and uplifting aspects of these parties is the diversity, not only of back- ground but of age among the participants. That’s because Cumbia on the Bridge is for “the gente,” per Gravedad. The people. Young children enjoy the lulling feel of cumbia reba- jada while elders can sit back and soak in the sun. Young adults mingle and put on their best dance moves in fits of peacocking and preening, and parents have a chance to relax while their kids are absorbed by the music. It’s rare that a DJ can speak to so many people so easily. But Gravedad’s supportive, gener- ous presence isn’t just marked by his mastery of the board and his ability to manipulate the music. It’s in his commitment to the commu- nity and a warm presence. And it’s an expanding community. Ac- cording to Gravedad, he’s building this network of cumbia rebajada lovers across Texas. Recent appearances by Cumbia 319 in Austin and San Antonio speak to this gradual development of a scene that speaks to those who love to get lost in cumbia rebajada. It isn’t just a gathering in physical places. It’s a digital community with several accounts like @pura.cumbia. social.club on Instagram acting as the con- nective tissue of this energetic scene. Cumbia 319 is leading a sonic revolution in DFW Latin music that stakes a claim out- side both Tejano sounds and the tradi- tional cumbia colombiana. If you happen to pass by one of these par- ties over the summer as they pop up dis- creetly and on a moment’s notice, pull over, take a seat and immerse yourself in the reba- jada way of life. Sabotaje Media Cumbia 319 is led by DJ Bochol Gravedad (right). | B-SIDES | t Music
