Jhonny Ortiz is the one who introduced me to the rumble of Colombian sound systems! I first met Jhonny Ortiz at a picò party in Barranquilla. We started talking about each other’s work and he kindly invited me... Read Article
Another Carnaval of Barranquilla has come and gone, but a new song by Colombia’s Bomba Estereo and Systema Solar keeps the party going. The lyrics of “Carnavalera” focus on the joy, diversity, community and powerful energy of South... Read Article
While I was investigating vinyl culture in Barranquilla, a friend of mine told me that a costeño was now living in Medellín trying to spread the culture of the Caribbean coast over in that part of Colombia. So I... Read Article
Lucas Silva is a workaholic. If he’s not recording music, he’s shooting a music video or a documentary or writing a script or something else. It was hard to catch him during my first trip to Colombia because... Read Article
Sidney Reyes Reyes aka ‘the Musical Library’, is the very first person you need to contact if you plan to go to Barranquilla, on Colombia’s Atlantic coast, to investigate Afro-Colombian culture. His work is well known in the... Read Article
Revered as the ‘Godfather of Champeta’, Abelardo Carbonó, is the latest in a growing line of Colombian artists to team up with British producer Quantic. Best known for a motley catalogue of styles, mesmeric guitar skills and psychedelic... Read Article
In her latest video Brazilian singer, musician and composer Alessandra Leão teamed up with an ensemble of Colombian and Brazilian musicians for a live performance that shows that there really is no need for there to be a divide... Read Article
“¡Barranquilla es la capital mundial de la mùsica africana!” (Barranquilla is the world capital of African music). If you ever have the chance to visit the city of Barranquilla on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, then there is a good... Read Article
Joe Galbraith takes a trip to carnival in Barranquilla, Colombia. He finds out why it’s the second largest carnival in South America, discovers its afro-caribbean roots, its close ties with cumbia and checks out the picó soundsystem culture... Read Article
Ghetto Kumbé´s concept is as powerful as it is simple, a journey to the rhythmic Afro-Caribbean roots of Colombia fuelled by the hypnotic power of African house beats. With just three members, Edgardo Garcés (aka E Guajiro), Juan... Read Article
It’s a hashtag popular among Colombians these days: #hueleacarnaval. Quite simply, it translates to, “It smells like Carnival.” Indeed, we are just days away from the Battle of the Flowers (La Batalla de Flores), Barranquilla’s main Carnival event,... Read Article
When we first saw Delsonido perform at a nightclub, we thought, here is a jam band influenced heavily by Colombian sounds, big on improvisation, as many of New York City’s jazz musicians have been playing for years. One got the idea... Read Article
