The Land Of The Forgotten: A Brief Musical History of Colombia

Starting last Thursday (2/11), Donnie Does (aka The Wonton Don) of Barstool Sports published the first episode of his new series Barstool Abroad: Colombia (first and second episodes below). I’m a huge fan of Donnie Does and Barstool, as I imagine at least some of our readers are as well. The 8-part series is all about Donnie’s trip to Colombia and his experience in the country.

The first episode featured Donnie arriving in Cartagena and enjoying some of the local attractions. It’s a great introduction to the country and the series. We should be getting an episode a week for the next 6 weeks or so.

Watching these videos set off a lightbulb in my head. I don’t know how deep Donnie will get with Colombian music history or Latin music in general so I figured I’d help fill in some of the potential gaps. This won’t be a definitive history of Colombian music but it’ll hit on some of the big points.

Colombia – “The Land of a Thousand Ryhthms”

Colombia is a very geographically diverse country. There’s a bit of everything. Mountains, plains, volcanos, beaches, oceans, and everything in between. With that geographic diversity comes cultural diversity and musical diversity follows. The folk music that developed over the centuries laid the groundwork for the unique explosion of sounds and rhythms that would drive the country’s culture for decades to come.

Cumbia is likely the most popular Colombian musical export. It has a unique rhythm that stemmed from the interactions of indigenous Colombians, African slaves, and Spanish colonialists. Cumbia has a global presence but is most popular in Mexico.

Vallenato, which means “music of the valley”, is another traditional Colombian genre. It originated in the eastern Valleys of Colombia. It’s a combination of traditional Colombian instruments and the accordion, which was brought over by European immigrants.

Colombians tend to be very proud of their musical heritage. Carlos Vives has made a point of continuing many of the traditions of vallenato and other Colombian folk music. He is credited with the reemergence and growth of the genre. More on him later. ChoQuibTown, a group based out of Cali, has been continuing the tradition of Colombian music with a urban/hip-hop tilt. They’ve emerged over the last few years as ambassadors for the revitalization of traditional Colombian music.

Let’s get started with the song and video that makes me want to pack my bags and fly to Colombia today.

Salsa

Colombian salsa is a beast all its own. The city of Cali is considered the Salsa Capital of the World. Colombian salsa tends to be more romantic and faster paced than it’s Caribbean counterparts. Classic artists like Joe Arroyo, Fruko y su Tesos, and Grupo Niche decorate the history of Colombian Salsa. Colombian Salsa dancing is generally much faster and athletic than its Carribbean counterparts (for a refresher on salsa dancing read our post here).

While romance is obviously a major theme of Colombian salsa, there are also social and historical themes to many of its biggest hits. Joe Arroyo’s La Rebelion is an oral history of slavery in Colombia, for example. Another example is Fruko y Sus Tesos’s El Preso which describes spending 30 years in prison.

In recent years, a new form of salsa emerged in Colombia called salsa choke. Salsa choke combines salsa, African rhythms, and reggaeton. It was brought to Cali from the Pacific Coast of Colombia by refugees of the Colombian Civil War in 2008. While it hasn’t necessarily crossed over into the mainstream Latin market, it is incredibly popular in Cali and other parts of Colombia.

Reggaeton

Reggaeton, and urban music more broadly, is the most popular genre of Latin music right now. While reggaeton has its roots in Puerto Rico, the historical importance of Colombia cannot be overstated. J Balvin, Maluma, and Karol G three of the biggest stars in Latin music hail from Medellin. Nicky Jam, as he tried to rehabilitate his life and career after early struggles with drug addiction and alcoholism, moved to Medellin. His time in Medellin helped him right his course and become one of the biggest stars in Latin music.

While Colombia has produced some of the leaders in reggaeton, it’s also producing the next generation of great urban artists. Artists like Feid, Manuel Turizo, Farina, Andy Rivera, and Reykon are all on the come-up. Each has already released some hits with many more in the pipeline. Colombia may not be Puerto Rico when it comes to reggaeton, but it’s certainly a strong runner-up.

Pop

This final category is here to be a catchall for any artists we may have missed.

It’s hard to talk about Colombian music without talking about Shakira. She’s one of Colombia’s most famous residents and one of the most popular and iconic artists in the history of Latin music. Hips Don’t Lie is one of the most iconic songs of the last 20 years and she’s had a number of other hits both globally and in the Spanish-speaking world. To call Shakira anything short of an icon would be to undersell her influence

Carlos Vives, whom we mentioned earlier, has been one of the biggest artist who can be defined as strictly Colombian. His musical profile has always leaned heavily on traditional Colombian styles. Vives has a number of great songs such as Carito, Dejame Entrar, Volvi a Nacer, and Cuando Nos Volvamos A Encontrar. His interpretation of La Gota Fria is considered the gold standard, although the song has been recorded dozens of times.

While Juanes is technically a rock artist, we’re going to include him here. He’s been one of the mostimportant and revolutionary figures in Colombian music while also one of the leading voices in Latin rock. His songs, La Camisa Negra, A Dios Le Pido, and Es Por Ti are some of his many many hits. Juanes’ love for Colombia has been on disply throughout his carrer and has never been something he’s shied away from.

Other Colombian pop artists to listen for are Fonseca, Fanny Lu, and Sebastian Yatra.

Just the Beginning

This is just a basic introduction to Colombia’s rich musical heritage. There are so many incredible artists that I didn’t do justice here, but that’s the limitation we deal with sometimes. There is also so much more to Colombia than it’s dark and violent past. I hope to come back to this post one day after taking a trip to Colombia like The Wonton Don with some more knowledge and first-hand experience. Until then, keep following and reading and we can all continue to learn more together.