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This hit Nicaraguan band is touring Texas; here's what you should know before their Dallas stop

In Nicaragua, La Cuneta Son Machín is known as one of the most popular bands in the country. Now they're touring Texas for the first time.

Cumbia and Spanish alternative rock lovers, La Cuneta Son Machín is a band  I've recently discovered after a trip to Nicaragua that I feel I need to share with Spanish music enthusiasts.

In Nicaragua, La Cuneta Son Machín is known as one of the most popular bands in the country. They were the first Nicaraguan band in 2016 to earn a Grammy nomination and now after more than nine years together, they're touring the state of Texas for the first time, with shows in Houston, Dallas and Austin. They also have a show scheduled for SXSW.

They're not as known -- yet -- in the United States, but they make me want to dance a little cumbia and break out the washing machine moves like Selena.

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Their third album Mondongo earned them a Grammy nomination for Alternative Rock. Their most recent album released in 2017 is called Cañambuco and has my favorite song "La Cumbia Chinandegana."

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A playlist of La Cuneta Son Machín is the type of music you'll want to listen to while at the carne asada and after opening a few cervecitas. Their songs are sure to get your guests dancing and entertained.

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Here are 4 things to know about the band:

La Cuneta has a deep pride in its culture:

Lead singer Carlos ‘Frijol’ Guillén said in an interview with GuideLive that the band felt it was important to celebrate the traditional cumbia music of Nicaragua.

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"Young people weren't listening to traditional music anymore, but we wanted to bring them some styles that they would like by an infusion," Guillén said, in Spanish. It's true, with its infusion of marimba and some electronic sounds, La Cuneta make an infectious cumbia beat.

The band is growing its Texas fan base:

In California and Florida where there's a larger Nicaraguan population, La Cuneta has been able to attract fans. Now they're wanting to reach the Latino population in Texas.

La Cuneta wants to invite every Texan to visit Nicaragua’s natural beauty:

For a lot of Texans, Cancun has been a popular vacation spot. But have you considered Nicaraguan beaches, Guillén asks.

“I invite everyone,” Guillén said. “It’s a chance to see a beautiful country, it’s cheap and the people are so kind. We have a beautiful country with beaches, volcanos, forests.”

Fall in love with fritangas with their song “Amor Fritanguero”

Mexicans are known for the taquerias, but Nicaraguans have fritangas, where you'll find the most delicious homestyle foods. I've already looked for one in Dallas and have failed. But Guillén's favorite dish is black bean rice dish called gallo pinto, tajadas (plantain chips) and queso frito (fried cheese). They love fritangas so much they wrote a song about them.