The Chacarron sensation | Music

Music blogMusic

The Chacarron sensation

A song with no discernible lyrics is set to be YouTube's first hit single. And if you don't like it, there are, dear heaven, 98 other versions to choose from.


Musn't grumble... Andy of El Chombo shows his moves on YouTube

This is probably a generational thing, but the thought of YouTube makes me very tired. It's not that I don't understand the desire to share disgusting and/or offensive clips from a cameraphone by posting them on the site; what I don't get is why other people would want to look at them.

But plenty of people do more than look - inspired by some compelling bit of footage, they film a version of their own, and whack that up there as well. The casual browser is confronted by dozens of similar clips, all filmed in the spirit of homemade hilarity, and all evidence that a lot of people have way too much time on their hands.

Nonetheless, it looks as if YouTube is about to produce its first hit single. A video of a reggaeton (Latino-hip hop) song called Chacarron, by a Panamanian duo, El Chombo, first appeared on the site last March. A cheaply-filmed clip of El Chombo's singer, Andy De La Cruz, mumbling the tune in front of a bevy of mini-skirted lovelies became so popular that it spawned 98 other versions. Some feature fans singing the song themselves; others splice in the Teletubbies, Shrek and Jim Carrey.

Its popularity is explained by the fact that the song doesn't have words as such - De La Cruz makes up sounds instead - and, being on the large side, looks clunky doing it. This is considered so funny that Chacarron has become a sensation, and the likes of Radio 1's Scott Mills are championing it as the Christmas No 1. And all this weeks before it will even be available as a single.

I don't have a problem with novelty records making it to No 1 - in fact, it would be exceptionally pleasant to see Chacarron at the top of the chart if it prevents the noxious offering of whoever wins The X-Factor from getting there. I do worry, though, about the 98 people who were moved to make their own Chacarrons. There's a wrongness about contributing to the junkpile of random stuff that's already clogging the internet. Moreover, the 20 minutes or so the average viewer might spend watching various Chacarrons is 20 minutes they'll never get back. Why bother?

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEoKyaqpSerq96wqikaKWlqLake8yuqqKbkqG8qHuRaWdvZ56kw3B8mGiroZ2Tna6krdGrpqerlaPAosDIqKU%3D