The music of Colombia is an expression of Colombian culture, music genres, both traditional and modern, according with the features of each geographic region, although it is not uncommon to find different musical styles in the same region. The diversity in musical expressions found in Colombia can be seen as the result of a mixture of Amerindian, African, and European influences, as well as more modern American.
Vallenato is a popular folk music genre from Colombia. It primarily comes from its Caribbean region. Vallenato literally means "born in the valley". The valley influencing this name is located between the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Serranía de Perijá in north-east Colombia. The name also applies to the people from the city where this genre originated: Valledupar. In 2006, vallenato and cumbia were added as a category in the Latin Grammy Awards. Colombia’s traditional vallenato music is Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, according to UNESCO.
Juan Esteban Aristizábal Vásquez, known professionally as Juanes, is a Colombian musician who was a member of the rock band Ekhymosis and is now a solo artist. In 2000, his solo debut album Fíjate Bien won three Latin Grammy Awards. Juanes has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide.
Los Tigres del Norte are a norteño band from San Jose, California. Originally founded in Mocorito, Sinaloa, Mexico, with sales of 60 million albums, the band is one of the most recognized groups in the genre, due to its long history and its successes within the Mexican community in the diaspora. The band is famous for its political corridos, some of which have been censored, even in its own country. The band is the only Mexican group to win 6 Grammy awards and 12 Latin Grammys. In addition, the band has made 40 films alongside the Almada brothers among other well-known Mexican actors.
Guaco is a tropical music band from Venezuela that was formed in Maracaibo by Mario Viloria, Alfonso "Pompo" Aguado, and Fernando Domínguez in 1968. Viloria, the main founder, retired to focus on his college studies; he was the group's main composer for several years. His home was also the main place where practices were held in the group's early years. The name Guaco is attributed a bird named "Guaco" that would fly over Viloria's house every morning. The band began as a gaita zuliana group, and during the 70s diverged from the traditional way of playing the genre by integrating it with elements of salsa music, and adding in violins and electric guitars which were very unusual instruments to be included in a gaita band. Today, the Guaco rhythm continues to evolve through a complex mixture of gaita, salsa, pop music, jazz, funk and even rock and roll and vallenato rhythms, concocting a recognizable and unique style that is considered to be a hallmark of the tropical music genre.
Calle 13 is a Puerto Rican alternative hip-hop band formed by stepbrothers Residente and Visitante, along with their half-sister iLe, also known as PG-13.
Diomedes Díaz Maestre was a Colombian vallenato singer, songwriter, and composer. His nickname, "El Cacique de la Junta", was given to him by another vallenato singer, Rafael Orozco Maestre, in honor to Díaz's birthplace.
Quetzal is a bilingual (Spanish-English) Chicano rock band from East Los Angeles, California.
Mariachi los Camperos de Nati Cano is a Grammy Award-winning Los Angeles-based mariachi ensemble which was formerly led by Natividad "Nati" Cano.
San Jacinto is a town and municipality located in the Bolívar Department, northern Colombia.
The 8th Annual Latin Grammy Awards took place on Thursday, November 8, 2007, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show aired on Univision. Juan Luis Guerra was the night's big winner, winning 5 awards including Album of the Year. Juan Luis Guerra was honored as the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year one night prior to the telecast.
Pasión is a Mexican telenovela produced by Carla Estrada for Televisa in 2007. It is the fourth historical fiction telenovela produced by Carla Estrada after Alondra, Amor real and Alborada.
Los Texmaniacs is a conjunto band created by Max Baca in 1997. In 2010 Los Texmaniacs won a Grammy Award for Tejano Album of The Year "Borders y Bailes". Members include Max Baca on bajo sexto, Josh Baca on accordion, Noel Hernandez on electric bass, and Lorenzo Martinez on the drums. Los Texmaniacs have collaborated with various artists from different genres including Rick Trevino, Flaco Jimenez, Los Lobos and King Montana. King Montana aka Tecoloso is Max Baca‘s first cousin on his mother side of the family. King Montana is a Grammy nominated disabled Latin rap artist/songwriter from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He has contributed songwriting to Max Baca’s Grammy award winning group Los Texmaniacs. Max Baca is credited with discovering his cousin King Montana. Max Baca produced King Montana’s very first rap song titled “Brown Superman”.
Bomba Estéreo is a Colombian band founded in Bogotá in 2005 by Simón Mejía. Their music has been described as "electro tropical" or "psychedelic cumbia".
A kuisi is a Native Colombian fipple flute made from a hollowed cactus stem, with a beeswax and charcoal powder mixture for the head, with a thin quill made from the feather of a large bird for the mouthpiece. Seagull, turkey and eagle feathers are among the feathers commonly used.
Un Fuego de Sangre Pura is an album by the Colombian folkloric cumbia group Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto released in 2006 in the Smithsonian Folkways label. On November 9, 2007, the group won a Latin Grammy award in the Folkloric Music category.
Cumbia[ˈkumbja] is a folkloric genre and dance from Colombia.
Cimarrón is a Colombian musical group of festive dance music joropo from the plains of the Orinoco River. This Grammy nominated band makes latin music with its Andalusian, Indigenous American native and African roots. Their music includes four-stringed cuatro, harp, maracas, and also peruvian-flamenco cajón, brazilian surdo, afro-colombian tambora, a stomp dance as a percussion component and tribal indigenous whistles.
Anaveydober Ordóñez Triana, better known as Ana Veydó, is a Colombian joropo singer. She is the lead singer of Cimarron.
Cumbia[ˈkumbja] is a musical genre and folk dance from Panama.
