With a large population of Africans, the streets of Columbia have created a new fusion, champeta, which originated on its Caribbean coast. It’s a high energy style of music that fuses elements of Afro-beat, highlife, and soukous with the folklore of the Caribbean and Latin music. The percussion is relentless, repetitive, never ending with these gorgeous distinctively African wisps of guitar, horns and vocals. Despite the high production values and careful arrangements (apparently 3 years in the making), there’ a certain rawness in the approach. This really feels like music from the streets. Yet it’s also very much music created by people far from home, and a demonstration of how music constantly evolves and adapt to its location, drawing in new influences wherever it finds itself. Whilst many of the artists are Columbian based Africans, there is also an attempt to reach back to Africa enlisting some incredible guitarists including Sekou Diabate, the founder of Bembeya Jazz, though there’ a heavy Congolese contingent with Rigo Star, Diblo Diabala, and Caien Madoka. There’ an element of fun loving mischievousness to the music, occasional samples like the screeching of car tyres, Spanish spoken word and strange heavily reverbed cries permeate the music yet never disrupt the songs. The oddness just sinks right in to the fabric. You really feel like anything could happen next. This is street party music Columbia/ African style.
Bob Baker Fish
