Colombians in New York City long flocked to Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens for one of the largest Independence Day celebration in the Northeast until budget woes saw its demise in 2011. Though an Independence Day parade in the Colombian-heavy enclave... Read Article
Few artists have been as responsible for elevating the folk music of Colombia’s Caribbean coast – and in particular cumbia – to the world stage as Totó La Momposina. Born in 1940 to a musical family, Totó loved singing and... 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
Let’s be clear: Tambolero is not Totó La Momposina’s new album, though it’s so imaginative it’s as if it were a new one. The record is a collection of unreleased tracks and alternative takes dating back to the... Read Article
There are many things one can associate with Colombian music and the city of Brussels is one of them. We can credit this in a large part to a band called La Chiva Gantiva. The band was formed... Read Article
In August 2011 José Hernando Arias – a London resident born in Britain to Colombian parents – was chosen by the BBC for their World Routes Academy series. The programme, which aims to unite young musicians with mentors... Read Article
I am beginning with mapalé because it seems to be the most commonly performed rhythm and dance here in the streets of Cartagena. Furthermore, it is one of the Colombian rhythms from the Atlantic coast that is most... Read Article
The majority of Afro-Colombians reside on either the Pacific or Caribbean coast, so when I arrived in Cartagena two days ago, it didn’t come as a surprise when I noticed that the average skin colour here was far... Read Article
