The records gathered by the specialized press tell the transition with different dates: they place the founding of Disconection in 1983 by Simón de Abreu, and the birth of the new name in 1987, during a conversation between Simón de Abreu, Samuel Hidalgo and Oswaldo Pendrique —with Pendrique as witness to the original idea—, conceived to accompany the programming of Radio Satélite 88.5 FM in Valencia, Carabobo. The two versions agree on the essentials: Disconection precedes La Máquina, and Simón de Abreu stands at the center of both stages of the story.
Although some sources, including its official Instagram profile, place its founding in 1984, all agree that the project represented a technological and aesthetic leap over its predecessor. In 1989, control passed into the hands of the brothers David, Carlos and Daniel Monterola, who strengthened the brand's technical infrastructure and its regional reach.
Rivalry and sonic expansion
Through the second half of the 1980s, the miniteca circuit in Carabobo reached unprecedented levels of competition. Infierno by Tony Méndez was known as “La Bestia” for its technical might and its dark aesthetic, and so La Máquina decided to build its identity in contrast: if there was a “Bestia,” there had to be a force capable of demolishing it. That is where its historic motto came from, “La Demoledora de Bestias,” which became a battle cry, a signature on flyers and a standard at every show.
La Máquina soon stood out for its sound pressure, the number of active bass bins, its reinforced metal structures and its use of imported amplifiers and lighting systems, which let it compete not only with Infierno but with other powers of the center of the country such as Betelgeuse, Crazy Full, Power Machine and Sound Track. At every event the crowd split between fans of “La Bestia” and defenders of “La Demoledora,” a reflection of the spirit of creative rivalry that defined the golden era of the minitecas.
Technology and style
The heart of La Máquina lay in its rigging engineering: multiple amplifier racks, large woofers, imported compression drivers and high-intensity lighting systems that set its visual signature. Its staging combined technical precision, live hosting and a musical repertoire aimed at the popular rumba —mixes of Funk, Disco, Hi-NRG, Pop Dance and Electro— that kept the crowd going for hours.
In Carabobo, La Máquina was synonymous with mobile power, turning plazas, courts and clubs into improvised stages of professional sound. Its relationship with other minitecas of the center of the country drove a culture of healthy competition that spurred the technical evolution of the whole movement.
Legacy and continuity
More than three decades later, La Máquina lives on in the collective memory of the miniteca audience. Its motto “La Demoledora de Bestias” is remembered as the symbol of a time when creativity, technique and a passion for sound moved mountains. Today it remains active on social media, evoking the history of the Carabobo rumba and keeping the competitive spirit that defined its origin against Infierno by Tony Méndez.
This article is part of the collaborative archive of CulturaMiniteka.com and is in progress, open to new data, clippings and accounts that will help consolidate a complete chronology of the brand and its career.
Credits and sources
- · Original account published in the magazine “Las Minitecas de Venezuela.”
- · Facebook page of the Miniteca Disconection: the crew's birth in Valencia between 1980 and 1981, the founders Oswaldo González and Simón de Abreu, its discjockeys Simón de Abreu, Ricardo Núñez and Enrique “Coleman,” and the transformation into La Máquina between 1987 and 1988.
- · Photograph of the miniteca Funky Feet preserved in the CMTK Archive (archive of Leo Leiva, courtesy of Alejandro Fonseca): the crew's Valencia antecedent.
- · Historical testimony from Simón de Abreu and references from Oswaldo Pendrique (1987).
- · Chronicles of the competition between Infierno by Tony Méndez and La Máquina, Carabobo state.
- · Official Instagram profile: @minitecalamaquina.
- · Migrated from the original article at culturaminiteka.com/minitecas-poder-movil/la-maquina (accessed July 9, 2026).
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