Damas Gratis

The Argentinian band Damas Gratis was formed in 2000 by singer, songwriter, and keyboardist Pablo Lescano. As a member of Flor de Piedra, Gratis had previously played an integral role in popularizing cumbia villera, a new genre that updated traditional cumbia music with electric instruments, modern dance beats, and hard-edged street slang. After releasing the albums La vanda mas loca (1999) and Más duros que nunca (2000) as a member of Flor de Piedra, he formed Damas Gratis and took cumbia villera in a more commercial direction. The band's debut album, Para los Píbes, was released in 2000, followed in 2001 by the live album En vivo... hasta las manos. Albums like Operación Damas Gratis (2002), 100% Negro Cumbiero (2004), and Sin Remedio (2005) established Damas Gratis' reputation as the biggest band in cumbia villera music, while 2012's Esquivando el éxito earned the group an award from the Premios Gardel a la Música — Argentina's equivalent of the American Grammys — for "Best Tropical Album." Active as a touring act and studio band, Damas Gratis continued to evolve its sound well into the following decade, collaborating with modern artists like L-Gante and Marita on the 2021 single "Perrito Malvado."