Orquestra Pacifico Tropical

is a Pacific Northwest Cumbia band from Portland, Oregon.

History

Orquestra Pacifico Tropical was started in 2012 by Portland, Oregon music scene veterans, David “Papi” Fimbres (drums), and Carlos Segovia (guitar). Both fixtures in the Portland scene since 2000, the duo came together to create the Latinx dance night, Double Latinum Platinum, at Portland bar Tiga, before deciding to start their own band focused on performing classic Cumbias from Peru and Colombia.

Recruiting old friends from other Portland bands to create the first lineup, OPT quickly built a reputation for explosive and exciting sets of electrifying, psychedelic cumbia. Over the past decade they’ve performed at music festivals around the Pacific Northwest, including Treefort Music Fest, PDX Pop Now!, Freakout, Lose Yr Mind, Soul’d Out, Biamp Portland Jazz Festival and more, with live shows that have been described as a “jubilant rhythmic frenzy” and “mind-altering“.

Over the years, OPT has almost become a Portland music collective of sorts with 19 members passing through. Some of the city’s finest musicians have been in the band, while also performing in many other loved Portland groups, such as Máscaras, Sávila, Dreckig, Point Juncture WA, Alan Singley and Pants Machine, O Bruxo, Sun Angle, Quiet Countries, And And And, Roselit Bone, Bitchin’, Team Evil, Fernando, The Decemberists and many more.

OPT has been proud to share the stage at beautiful theaters and halls around the PNW with legendary acts like Ural Thomas and the Pain, Y La Bamba, Thee Sacred Souls, The Dandy Warhols, Edna Vasquez and many other incredible groups. 

Rio Frio

“Rio Frio”, the first album from OPT, was released in 2014 and featured covers of classic Cumbias along with one original, the title track, which was included on that year’s PDX Pop Now! compilation. The album was described as an “intoxicating mix of sounds” and “completely contagious” by The Deli.

El Tren

The follow-up album, “El Tren”, was released in 2018, and was an album of all originals, with the single “Cumbia Chancla” also appearing on a PDX Pop Now! compilation (2019). Eleven PDX described “El Tren” as a “rapturous” album full of “fuzzy psych-guitars” and brimming with the “instrumental talent of each member”. 

Regreso

In 2020, OPT released a split 7” with Seattle Cumbia band, Terror Cactus, on Names You Can Trust Records. 

El Poder

On a gloomy Pacific Northwest weekend in November 2020, OPT started writing new material at a beach-side cabin for what would become their third full length album, “El Poder”. The cloudy, overcast mood of the coastal forest afforded obvious inspiration which could subsequently be heard on the demo recordings.  A warm, inviting living-room-session amongst close friends, truly allowed for spontaneous creativity and earnest musicianship at a crucial developmental stage in the album’s trajectory. OPT would spend the following years carefully and lovingly developing those ideas, and composing new songs for the album. “El Poder” finds OPT continuing its traditional cumbia-centric path, while also delving into salsa, and psychedelic northwest-inspired sounds. “El Poder” is Orquestra Pacific Tropical at the height of their powers, satisfying the veteran listener as well as offering new sonic explorations and a wholly unique latin music experience.”

Also coming up in 2026, OPT will take their third tour of the west coast in support of “El Poder”, perform at Pickathon, the Waterfront Blues Festival, and live on Seattle’s KEXP. 

Orquestra Pacifico Tropical is:

David “Papi” Fimbres: Drums, Vocals
Edward Bubl: Keyboards, Euphonium, Trumpet
Shana Lindbeck: Vocals, Percussion
Paul Matonis: Clarinet
Andy Manla: Accordion, Vocals
Ryan Wiggans: Guitar, Trumpet
Victor Nash: Trumpet
Leb Borgerson: Bass
Anton Ramirez: Guitar, Vocals, Conga
Ana Rodriguez: Percussion, Vocals
Jason Elliot: Trombone