[1] Chico Trujillo's first songs were born of jamming sessions with Asenjo and his friend Antonio Orellana, and their sound gradually attracted new members to the band.

[5][6] Chico Trujillo mixes original songs with traditional cumbia, exploring styles as diverse as boleros and ska, Andean folk and hip hop, reggae and rock, in a popular live act.

[7] A post on The New York Times Artsbeat blog described Chico Trujillo's signature sound: “Every party band needs a rhythm, and Aldo Asenjo, the band’s leader and singer, relies on cumbia, the beat heard in countless variations across Latin America.

Cumbia often trots calmly, but Chico Trujillo’s version gallops, bounding along; now and then, the music switches into rumba, equally upbeat.

Mr. Asenjo sings lyrics as chattery and percussive as some hip-hop, taking on the ups and downs of love and life, with his voice answered by chortling horns — did he borrow the arranging idea from ska bands?