Eric Kurimski

Moneco is a New York-based psychedelic cumbia ensemble that reimagines the electrified sounds of Peru’s chicha and cumbia traditions through the multicultural musical landscape of New York City. Co-founded in 2010 by guitarist Eric Kurimski and Chilean drummer/percussionist Edgardo “Yayo” Serka, the group draws inspiration from legendary Peruvian bands such as Los Destellos and Juaneco y su Combo while incorporating elements of rock, improvisation, jazz, and contemporary Latin American music. The result is a distinctive sound the group calls “Cumbia Chichadelica.”

From its beginnings, Moneco has brought together musicians whose careers extend across jazz, Latin American, and world music. Kurimski is an internationally recognized guitarist and specialist in Afro-Peruvian music whose work includes performances and recordings with Eva Ayllón, Sofia Rei, and other leading Latin American artists. Serka has toured and recorded extensively with artists including Lila Downs and Angélique Kidjo and brings decades of experience in Latin American, Afro-Cuban, jazz, and global rhythmic traditions to the ensemble.

The group’s extended lineup draws from New York’s exceptional community of Latin, jazz, and world-music artists. Multi-instrumentalist and arranger George Sáenz, musical director for Grammy-winning Mexican artist Lila Downs, brings his experience performing synth bass and accordion to the ensemble. Nilko Andreas is also a frequent member of Moneco as a vocalist, contributing his distinctive voice and extensive experience as an interpreter of Latin American music.

Moneco also frequently features musicians including trumpeter Josh Deutsch and keytarist Joshua Camp, further expanding the ensemble’s musical palette. Rather than functioning exclusively as a fixed lineup, Moneco has developed as a collaborative musical project built around a core artistic vision, allowing musicians with diverse backgrounds in Latin American music, jazz, improvisation, and contemporary music to contribute their individual voices to the group’s evolving sound.

During its early years, Moneco became part of New York’s emerging neo-cumbia scene, performing throughout the city and developing a repertoire that placed classic Peruvian psychedelic cumbia alongside original compositions and unexpected reinterpretations. The band’s approach has always been rooted in respect for the traditions that inspired it while rejecting the idea that those traditions should remain frozen in time. Moneco treats cumbia as a living musical language—one capable of absorbing new influences, responding to contemporary experiences, and connecting musicians and audiences across cultures.

Following an extended hiatus, Moneco returned to active performance in 2024 and has since entered a renewed period of artistic activity. The group has performed at venues and cultural events throughout New York and the surrounding region, including Barbès, Terraza 7, Nublu, The Queensboro, the Bronx Documentary Center’s Latin American Foto Festival, and the Perú Fusion Festival in New Jersey. These performances have introduced the band’s music to new audiences while reconnecting Moneco with the diverse communities that originally shaped its sound.

This new chapter has also brought a renewed emphasis on original music, recording, and collaboration. In 2026, Moneco released “El Diablo,” a contemporary exploration of the band’s psychedelic cumbia aesthetic driven by electric guitar, hypnotic rhythm, and the raw energy of classic Peruvian chicha.

The group followed with “No Podrán,” a collaboration with Guatemalan musician and filmmaker Domingo Lemus. Conceived as a protest song responding to the contemporary political climate, “No Podrán” expands Moneco’s musical vision beyond psychedelic cumbia alone, using music as a vehicle for resistance, cultural identity, solidarity, and resilience. The collaboration with Lemus reflects a larger philosophy at the heart of Moneco: bringing together artists from different Latin American backgrounds to create new music grounded in shared cultural experience while remaining open to experimentation.

At the heart of Moneco is the idea that Latin American musical traditions can simultaneously honor their histories and continue to evolve. Its musicians bring decades of international touring, recording, arranging, improvisation, and cross-cultural collaboration to a project that is both deeply connected to the past and unmistakably contemporary.

Through its ongoing performances, collaborations, and new recordings, Moneco is building the next stage of its artistic identity: a New York interpretation of psychedelic Latin American cumbia that celebrates the music’s Peruvian roots while creating a space for musicians and traditions from across the Americas to meet, interact, and push the music into new territory.