“Chakabacunga” is a cumbia single from Italian singer, guitarist and composer Arnaldo Prete, now living in Brussels. He calls it cumbia de mezcla, shaped by Peruvian cumbia and Cuban guajira, with a quick, cyclical rhythm and a lead vocal built to pull people into the chorus. He describes it as “a hypnotic, festive piece that recalls an imaginary ritual”, written for a broad audience, Spanish-speaking or not, who enjoy tropical heat, lightness and sensuality.

Prete reaches “Chakabacunga” after years of work between Europe, Africa and Latin America. His album Danze (2014) was recorded in Congo-Brazzaville, while Toboggan Cassé (2024) is a children’s record made in Brussels around a story and characters that also live on stage. The Iroko EP from 2025 continues his Brazilian, African and Latin-rooted writing and sets up this next step into cumbia.

Alongside recording and touring, Prete teaches children and works as a Benenzon-trained music therapist, composing and performing music with them in group and individual settings. He often describes music as the backbone of his life and talks about travelling widely to search for sounds and a way of living that goes beyond the surface.

Listen and stream the track HERE