Music of Colombia
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The music of Colombia is an expression of
Colombia has a vibrant collage of talent that touches a full spectrum of rhythms ranging from Pop music and Classical music to Salsa and Rock music. Colombian music is promoted mainly by the support of the largest record labels, independent companies and the Government of Colombia, through the Ministry of Culture.
Caribbean region
Colombia is known as "the land of a thousand rhythms" but actually holds over 1,025 folk rhythms. Some of the best known genres are cumbia and vallenato. The most recognized interpreters of traditional Caribbean and Afrocolombian music are Totó la Momposina and Francisco Zumaqué.
Western Caribbean Region
Cumbia
Cumbia began as a courtship dance practiced among the African population on the Caribbean coasts of Colombia. It is a mixture of Spanish, Native Colombian and African music. The style of dance is designed to recall the shackles worn around the ankles of the slaves. In the 19th century, slavery was abolished and Africans, Indians and other ethnic groups got a more complete integration in the Colombian culture.
Cumbia is a complex, rhythmic music which arose on Colombia's Atlantic coast. In its original form, cumbia bands included only percussion and vocals; modern groups include saxophones, trumpets, keyboards and trombones as well. It evolved out of native influences, combining both traditions. Some observers have claimed that the dance originally associated with iron chains around the ankle. Others still believe that it is a direct import from Guinea, which has a popular dance form called cumbe.
Cumbia's form was solidified in the 1940s when it spread from the rural countryside to urban and middle-class audiences.
It is worth pointing out that the "classic" cumbia known throughout Colombia is the Cumbia Cienaguera. This song reflects a uniquely Colombian feel known as "sabor" (flavour) and "ambiente" (atmosphere). Arguably, this song has remained a Colombian staple through the years and is widely known as Colombia's unofficial national anthem. Some artists are Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto, Los Graduados, Los Black Stars, Los Golden Boys, Los Teen Agers, and Los Corraleros de Majagual. In the United States, an Afro- Colombian band based in New York called Grupo Rebolu, performs a variety of Afro-Colombian rhythms with authentic instruments such as Tambora and Tambor Alegre. Their repertoire includes Cumbia and many more genres from the Northern coast of Colombia as part of their original compositions.
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 La vida vale la pena (Tambora - Eje musical Caribe Occidental), Interpretado por Petrona Martínez en YouTube | |
| Los sabores del porro (Porro - Eje musical Caribe Occidental), Interpretado por Totó la Momposina en YouTube | |
| Una canción en el Magdalena (Cumbia sentá - Eje musical Caribe Occidental), Interpretado por Martina Camargo en YouTube | |
| Danza negra (Cumbia de salón - Eje musical Caribe Occidental), Interpretado por Matilde Díaz, compuesta por Lucho Bermudez en YouTube | |
| Me duele el alma (Fandango - Eje musical Caribe Occidental), Interpretado por María Mulata en YouTube | |
| El botón del pantalón (Terapia - Eje musical Caribe Occidental), Interpretado por Sistema Solar en YouTube |
Champeta and African-diasporic music
Some Colombian communities, such as
Porro
Eastern Caribbean musical region
Vallenato
Vallenato was first played by the pre-Columbian Indians using traditional instruments. The first vallenato singer was Guillermo Buitrago, born in the Magdalena department. Vallenato did not always use accordion as its main instrument. In fact, from 1920 to 1936 the main instrument was the guitar. Groups such as bovea and sus vallenatos also are among the first vallenato singers. They form the group in the city of Barranquilla Atlantico department. They also were the first to take the vallenato music to a different country like Argentina, specifically in northern Argentina. Contrary to popular belief, vallenato is not a rhythm. Rather, it is a genre. It is made up of four rhythms: Son, Puya, Merengue, and Paseo.
An important phenomenon has occurred in Colombia with vallenato. At first it was an exclusive kind of music for Atlantic Coast people but because the proliferation of radio programs of this genre in other cities of the republic (such as Bogota), and the migration of people from the coast to the capital, vallenato spread to the rest of Colombia. Not only the music, but the musicians of the genre increased in the capital and other cities. In 2006 for the first time, a musician from Bogota, Alberto "Beto" Jamaica, was the king of vallenato in the traditional competition to play accordion, "El Festival Vallenato". Other important musicians from other cities have taken importance in the vallenato world.
Vallenato has spawned several subgenres, including
Other Caribbean genres
Pacific Region of Colombia
Currulao
This is one of the most African influenced-styles in all of Colombia, and has its roots among the
In its most basic form, the currulao is played by a group of four musicians.
One musician plays a 6-8 rhythm on a drum known as a "cununo", which superficially resembles the "alegre" drum (used in Cumbia) to the untrained eye, but is narrower and taller. The Currulao rhythm is created by both striking the skin of the drum with the one's hand and tapping the side of the drum with a small stick.
The second musician keeps time on a shaker known in parts of Colombia as a "guasá"(goo-ah-SAH) or "guache"(goo-AH-cheh), which is typically a hollow cylinder made of metal, wooden, or guadua bamboo, filled with light seeds, rice is sometimes used in home-made guasás.
But the main instrument of the currulao style is perhaps the Colombian marimba, a wooden xylophone which resembles the African balafon also for the style of playing.
Many groups in Colombia perform this traditional style of music. Currently, the most renowned groups include Grupo Socavón, Grupo Gualajó, and Grups Bahia Trio. A well renowned figure among the old marimbero masters in Colombia is Baudilio Cuama Rentería from Buenaventura Colombia.
In the United States two Colombian Bands performing this genre with authentic traditional instruments are La Cumbiamba NY, on the east coast (New York), and Aluna Band in the west coast (San Francisco). In 2010, Currulao has been added to the UNESCO list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.[2]
Other Pacific genres
- Abozao
- Aguabajo
- Alabao
- Andarele o Amanecer
- Arrullo
- Bambara Negra
- Bambuco Viejo
- Berejú
- Boga
- Bunde Chocoano
- Caderona
- Calipso Chocoano
- Chigualo o Gualí
- Contradanza Chocoana
- Danza Chocoana
- Jota Chocoana
- Juga
- La Caramba
- La Madruga
- Makerule
- Mazurka chocoana
- Pango o Pangora
- Patacoré
- Polka Chocoana
- Porro Chocoano
- Pregón
- Romance
- Salve
- Saporrondón o Sapo-Rondó
- Son Chocoano
- Tamborito Chocoano
- Tiguarandó
- Villancico Chocoano
Andean Region of Colombia
| Flor de Romero (Bambuco - example of a genre of folk music in the Center-East Andean) | Ojito de Agua (Merengue Bambuquiao - example of a genre of folk music in the North-Western Andean) | Ángela (Hayno - example of a genre of folk music in the South-Western Andean) | Siquele (Rajaleña - example of a genre of folk music in the Center-South Andean) | |
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Bambuco
Guabina
Other Andean genres
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Orinoquía Region of Colombia
Joropo
Música llanera is a harp-led genre of music from the Llanos popular throughout Colombia. It includes the traditional joropo musical style, and is known for verbal contests called contrapunteo. Artists in this genre include Alfredo Rolando Ortiz (born in Cuba), Alma Llanera (Colombian band), Cimarrón (band), Luis Ariel Rey, Carlos Rojas, Sabor Llanero, Arnulfo Briceño, and Orlando Valdemarra. This particular type of music is also popular in Venezuela due to the shared llanos. It is considered to be the national music of Venezuela. Listen joropo music .
Other Orinoco region genres
Insular Region (Colombia)
Musical genres
Amazon Region of Colombia
Musical instruments
Musical genres
- Batuques
- Ciría
- Dobrado
- Mariquinha
- Mixtianas
- Paseata
- Porrosambas
- Tangarana
- Sanjuanito
- Huayno
- Bambuco
- Pasillo
- Sanjuanero
- Merengure Campesino
- Tonadas Indígenas
Contemporary music
Colombian salsa
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Colombian rock music
In the late 1950s, Mexican
Rock in Colombia gained great popularity during the 1980s with the arrival of bands such as
The music event Rock al Parque celebrated yearly in Bogotá is the largest free rock festival in Latin America; around 100 bands playing their music along 3 days and 400,000 people in attendance. Currently, Doctor Krápula, a rock band with strong ska influences that is known for making covers of traditional Latin American songs, enjoys great popularity. A popular Colombian Rock band outside of Colombia is The Monas. Aterciopelados named "Colombia's Hottest Band" in a Time magazine article,[8] is one of the most recognized Rock bands of Colombia. "The band, made up of front woman Andrea Echeverri and bassist/producer Hector Buitrago, mixes punk, surf guitar and ska with folky Colombian styles such as vallenato, a bouncy, accordion-heavy genre".[8]
Other popular and interesting bands are Ekhymosis, a group led by Juanes, who began making music in 1988 and are known for doing rock with a Colombian influence,
Colombian pop music
| This section needs additional citations for verification. (August 2022) |
This musical genre has been growing recently[
Some of Colombia's most recognized pop artists
Shakira is the highest selling and most recognized Colombian artist. After the success of her album Pies Descalzos in 1995, Shakira began working with producer Emilio Estefan Jr. and recorded Dónde Están los Ladrones?, which sold millions worldwide.[10] Showing all her talent, after her MTV Unplugged presentation, Shakira went on to make an English album Laundry Service which debuted at #3 in the Billboard Charts of the USA.
One of her most successful songs is Hips Don't Lie, which sold over 10 million copies and downloads worldwide, topped in over 70 countries #1.[11]
She is winner of 2 American and 7 Latin Grammies. In 2008, Shakira was nominated for a Golden Globe.
Singer-songwriter
Juanes was chosen by CNN as a global icon and is the youngest of the list.[12] His humanitarian activism has characterized him as a very supportive artist in the history of Latin music. Since he began his musical career, Juanes has broken several records in the history of the Latin Grammys.
Naty Botero, is a singer and composer from the city of Medellín, known for interpreting pop and Latin pop songs. Some of her main hits are Te Quiero Mucho, Dinosaurio, Mio and Adicta, among others. She have worked on musical productions with Colombian artists such as Joe Arroyo, ChocQuibTown and Andrés Cabas and artists from other countries such as Felix da Housecat. She also has a foundation called Coraje, to help the native people of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.[13]
Other famous pop singers include artists such as
.Colombian urban and hip-hop music
Hip Hop came to Colombia in the late 1980s when a few US Hip-Hop tracks by NWA and MC Hammer spurred a break-dancing fever among the young of the less privileged areas of major cities such as Medellín, Cali and Bogotá. Towards the end of this decade groups began to form, eventually leading to complete album productions in the mid-1990s. La Etnnia and Gotas de Rap were two of the various hip-hop groups that emerged and are widely considered as the pioneers of Colombian Rap. Promoting a very independent style, both groups expressed extreme political and social views, protesting violence, corruption, inequality and hardships in the marginalized regions of Colombia. Then Asilo 38 from Cali come onto the scene with the albums, La Hoguera (2000) and La Descarga (2002), presenting a more commercial and polished sound, while still retaining strong socio-political messages.
It is about this time that
Reggaeton from Puerto Rico surges in popularity and Hip-Hop in Colombia takes a back seat for a while as artists try their hand at the new controversial sound. Artist(s) such as
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Karol G is a Colombian reggaetón singer who has done collaborations with other reggaetón singers, such as J Balvin, Bad Bunny, and Maluma.[14] Throughout her career, Karol G has had troubles in the industry because reggaetón is a genre that is dominated by male artists. She recounts how when starting her career she noticed that there weren't many opportunities for her in the genre because reggaeton was dominated by male artists. In 2018, Karol G's single Mi Cama became very popular and she made a remix with J Balvin and Nicky Jam. The Mi cama remix appeared in the top 10 Hot Latin Songs and number 1 in Latin Airplay charts.[15] This year she has collaborated with Maluma called Creeme and with Anuel AA in Culpables. The single, Culpables has been in the top 10 Hot Latin Songs for 2 consecutive weeks.[14]
Reggae has always been popular in the Colombian Caribbean islands of San Andres and Providence and Spanish Reggae from Panama has helped to strengthen the movement of Reggae artists in the Colombian interior. Artists such as
See also
References
- ^ Varga, George (May 3, 2016). "Monsieur Periné set for San Diego debut". San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ "UNESCO". Ich.unesco.org. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
- ^ Rafael Pombo. "El Bambuco" (PDF). Biblioteca.org. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
- ^ "Bambuco Patriotico". Archived from the original on 2003-10-18. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
- ^ "Music and Rhythm of Colombia Flashcards | Quizlet". Quizlet. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
- ^ "Sanjuanero & Guabina folk dances". Eyes On Colombia. 2009-08-19. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
- ^ Ramon, Andrés (2010). "Colombian Folk Music in an International Context" (PDF). An Overview: 174 – via Iceland Academy of the Arts.
- ^ a b Carolina, Miranda (27 October 2006). "Colombia's Hottest Rock Band". Time. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- ^ "▷ Indie Cave - Sonidos Underground - Musica para tus Ojos y tus Oidos". Indie Cave.
- ^ "Shakira's MAGNUS OPUS "Donde Están Los Ladrones?" was released 20 years ago". Reddit - www.reddit.com. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ^ "Shakira Feat. Wyclef Jean: Hips Don't Lie". IMDb - www.imdb.com. IMDb.com, Inc. 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ^ "Juanes Named One Of The Top 20 Global Music Icons of The Last 50 Years By CNN". Peer Music - www.peermusic.com. Peermusic.com, Inc. 4 August 2010. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ^ "Naty Botero". Deezer - www.deezer.com. Deezer. 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ^ a b "Karol G's 2018 Collaborations (So Far): Watch The Videos". Billboard. November 9, 2018.
- ^ "Becky G and Karol G on Music's Latinas: 'There's Space For All Of Us'". Billboard. November 1, 2018.
Other sources
- Brill, Mark. Music of Latin America and the Caribbean, 2nd Edition, 2018. Taylor & Francis ISBN 1138053562
- Burton, Kim. "El Sonido Dorado". 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), World Music, Vol. 2: Latin & North America, Caribbean, India, Asia and Pacific, pp 372–385. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books. ISBN 1-85828-636-0
External links
 | This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. (March 2022) |
- (in French) Audio clips: Traditional music of the Colombia. Musée d'ethnographie de Genève. Accessed November 25, 2010.
- Antipoda.net
- Soundacity.net
- A small trip through Colombian music A small trip through the music of the natural regions of Colombia including pictures of the different instruments and music samples.
- Sounds and Colours South American music and culture magazine, with plenty of features on Colombian music.
- Listen llanera music
- Listen Colombian Party Cartel music
- Listen Jiggy Drama music
