BREAKING: Los Tremolo Kings just played French quarter Fest and Jazz and Heritage Fest! Stay tuned for "Femme Fatale", the first sinle off our upcoming album, to be released onWWOZ May 22!
Chicha originated in Peru in the 1960s, as a mix of cumbia, traditional Peruvian music and 60s psychedelia. Chicha became popular all over Latin-america before fading into obscurity. In 2007, American record label Barbès Records released a 17-song compilation of psychedelic cumbia from Peru, which re-introduced chicha music to international audiences.
In 2019 Hugo Montero, owner of Casa Borrega, asked guitarist Phil ‘the Tremolo King’ Vanderyken to start a local chicha band. He recruited bassist Rene Coman and drummer Doug Garrison from the Iguanas as his rhythm section. The band started a four year residence at Casa Borrega, honing their sound and introducing different musical elements into the mix, including mambo, jazz, gypsy swing, surf music and more. Offbeat covers include chicha versions of “Femme Fatale” and “The James Bond Theme”. Phil added chicha tunes from classic bands like Los Destrellos and Los Mirlos, and more traditional cumbia songs from bands like Los Angeles Azules. Fridays at Casa Borrega became known as “Chicha Fridays”, where Los Tremolo Kings’ infectious musical gumbo enticed locals and tourists alike to the dance floor.
After the closing of Casa Borrega, Margie Perez, well-known singer and songwriter, joined the band, adding her incredible stage presence and soulful vocals to Los Tremolo Kings. More gigs followed at Madame Vic’s, dba ( on world famous Frenchmen street) and BJ’s Lounge. In June of ’24 the band released their five song debut EP on Kaleidoscope World Records, recorded at Casa Borrega by Alex Levy and mixed by Phil Vanderyken. Crazy Baldhead AKA Agent Jay of legendary NYC ska band the Slackers made an awesome dub version of “Sonido Amazonico” from the EP.
Jay Mazza praised the EP in his review for Offbeat Magazine.
In May '25 Los Tremolo Kings made their French Quarter Fest and Jazzfest debut.
A full length CD is in the works, with the first single, "Femme Fatale" to be released on New Orleans radio station WWOZ on May 22.
