LA DESCARGA Australia Tour 2025 w/ El Combo Vallenato & DJ Hugo Salcedo

LA DESCARGA (Melb) Australia Tour with EL COMBO VALLENATO & DJ HUGO SALCEDO

FRIDAY 4 APRIL 2025 8pm
LIVE @ EL SANTO (9 Hindley St, Adelaide SA 5000)

La Descarga, Australia's pioneers of Latin-Aussie tropical grooves, are bringing their electrifying Fiesta de Corazón Australia Tour to El Santo for one unforgettable night. Renowned for their fiery fusion of Colombian roots, electric vibes, and carnival energy, they’ll hit you with bone-shaking rhythms, funky cumbia grooves, and an irresistible tropical outburst designed to tickle your dance spot and keep you moving all night. Their debut album, Fiesta de Corazón, has already been lighting up stages and dance floors across the country!

Joining the fiesta is El Combo Vallenato, featuring accordionist Deyber Meza straight from the heart of tropicality via Melbourne. They’re serving up classic vallenato hits that will transport you to the Colombian Caribbean coast, filling the night with rhythm, passion, and pure tropical soul.

On the decks is DJ Hugo Salcedo—a maestro and connoisseur of Latin tropical beats—and there will be surprise guests making special appearances throughout the night!

Don’t miss your chance to experience one of the most vibrant live acts on one stage. Get ready to party live at El Santo!

LA DESCARGA (Mel)

 A fearless outburst of tropicality that tickles your brain on the dance spot! Renowned for its spirited and vibrant performances, La Descarga brings a tropical boom experience full of fiery colourfulness and bone-shaking rhythms. An iconic Latin-Australian music band where Colombian tropical roots music mixes with contemporary Aussie stamps.

La Descarga was born in 2010 in Melbourne, as a tribute to the folkloric rhythms of the coasts of Colombia and as a preserver of its cultural heritage. It has evolved for over a decade through diverse musical and cultural collaborations, becoming a forerunner of Latin-Aussie-tropical music. While blending traditions with electric and electronic sounds, it brings original tunes as well as fresh takes on the golden tropical days of Colombian music.

La Descarga has been deeply influenced by the street carnival cultures of Latin America, with their upbeat music, colours, and dance, mixing the old and new grooves of Australian, Colombian, and global tropical culture. Originally performing with traditional drums, marimba, gaita flutes, cantadores y cantadoras (traditional singers), and folkloric dancers, its sound has merged through collaborations with Australian musicians, incorporating psychedelia, electronica, and dub. In 2018, it expanded into its Electropical Orchestra format.

National Recognition & Support

La Descarga is proud to be a recipient of Creative Australia’s Contemporary Music Touring Program grant, bringing their debut album, Fiesta de Corazón, to audiences across Australia in 2025. This tour celebrates the vibrant heartbeat of Latin American and Caribbean culture, uniting communities through music, dance, and storytelling.

"We’re thrilled to be among 20 Australian artists supported by Creative Australia and Music Australia, showcasing our music in over 150 locations nationwide. Thank you to everyone who helped make this dream a reality!" – Jorge Leiva, band leader

About Fiesta de Corazón

Described as "a vibrant party for your heart," La Descarga’s debut album features over 30 artists from four continents, capturing the essence of Latin American celebration. Recently named PBS FM’s Feature Album of the Week, it includes the hit single Cumbia de Corazón, which landed on PBS FM’s Top 10 Favourite Tracks.

🎥 Watch the music video here

La Descarga has performed at many of Australia’s most beloved festivals, including the Firelight Festival, MOOMBA, Brunswick Music Festival, White Night Melbourne, Taste of Summer, and the Darebin Music Feast. In addition to these festival appearances, La Descarga has played sold-out shows at renowned venues such as MONA Museum, National Gallery of Victoria, Arts Centre Melbourne, Brunswick Ballroom, Miami Marketta, Queen Street Mall, Northcote Social Club, and the Melbourne Convention Centre.

La Descarga has captivated audiences with a series of vibrant singles, including "Elimínala", "Allá en el Río", "Chande Gozoso", and "A Demoler". They recently launched their highly anticipated debut album, "Fiesta de Corazón".

Currently, La Descarga is touring across Australia, bringing their explosive Afro-Latin fusion to stages nationwide with the support of the Creative Australia Touring Program.

EL COMBO VALLENATO (LOS DIAZ)

El Combo Vallenato brings the heart and soul of Colombia’s Caribbean coast to Australian stages, delivering the irresistible rhythms of classic vallenato. Led by the exceptional accordionist Deyber Meza, whose musical roots run deep in Colombian tradition, the band ignites every performance with passion, melody, and infectious energy.

Based in Melbourne but steeped in tropical authenticity, El Combo Vallenato transports audiences straight to the bustling streets of Valledupar—the cradle of vallenato—and the vibrant coastal towns where legends like Carlos Vives, Jorge Celedón, Diomedes Díaz, and Binomio de Oro made their mark. With every guacharaca scrape and accordion melody, their music captures the festive spirit of Colombia, where vallenato is more than a genre—it’s a way of life.

Get ready to sing, dance, and lose yourself in the timeless pulse of vallenato!

HUGO SALCEDO

Hugo Salcedo is a dynamic Latin musician, DJ, dancer, and entrepreneur who has played a vital role in shaping the Latin music and dance scene in Australia. Originally from Colombia, Hugo arrived in Adelaide in 1999, bringing with him a deep passion for music and performance. Despite early challenges, he carved out a successful career, founding Latino Grooves—a thriving Latin dance school, events, and entertainment company.

With a career spanning over two decades, Hugo has shared stages with legends like Toto La Momposina and performed across Australia, New Zealand, and Asia with his bands SALCEDO and Soul Macumbia. His electrifying DJ sets and live performances celebrate the vibrant rhythms of Latin America, from salsa and cumbia to Afro-Caribbean beats.

A true ambassador of Latin culture, Hugo continues to inspire and entertain, bringing the passion, energy, and warmth of Latin America to audiences everywhere.