Rhythm 'n' Roots

A "lost" weekend in Santa Fé has left me a little bit behind with the music so it is time to catch up. Still in Ecuador, which borders Colombia, I bought a disc of Colombian cumbias (I was unable to make it Colombia for a lack of time.) I somehow left Ecuador with music from anywhere but Ecuador!

I wanted to upload all of these tracks as they are just great! I have restrained myself however, and limited it to just three. In comparison to the aforementioned Bachata, this stuff is a breath of fresh air. Music to put you in a good mood, the perfect remedy for a grey, stormy Buenos Aires day. Furthermore the lyrics are great. I have already charted, briefly, the history of cumbia so I will leave it to Grant Dull from ZZK to refresh the memory: "Africa, Colombia, America."



First tune which I featured in my Rhythm 'n' Roots Mix Volume I and is a classic cumbia called Cumbia Cienaguera as interpreted by a Conjunto Tipica Vallenata (this appeared sampled on a house track by Samin called Heater and has been interpreted by many).

Conjunto Típica Vallenata - Cumbia Cienaguera





Second track is by Gustavo "el loco" Quinteros and is called Baracunatana. Made famous by Colombian rock group, Aterciopelados (youtube) but Gustavo Quinteros seems to be quite a character and the song is about him not bringing a prostitute home with him (the one who got on the moto with that idiot!)

Gustavo "el loco" Quinteros - Baracunatana





The final track is called Tabaco y Ron by Rodolfo Aicardi who is a big name in the history of música popular in Colombia. He sang all sorts of styles from ballads to cumbias to boleros, and alongside Gustavo Quinetero, (above) he spent time as a member of the legendary Los Hispanos group. He was even responsible for taking cumbia to the world, performing in Europe and Asia in the 80s and 90s. This song is, surprisngly, about tobaco and rum.


Rodolfo Aicardi - Tabaco y Ron

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