Afro-Colombian Sound Modernizers

South and Central America are dotted with communities made up of the descendants of African slaves who escaped their oppressors. The most famous are the Garifuna-speaking villages of Belize and Honduras, who gave the world the haunting, soulful songs of Andy Palacio and Aurelio Martinez; and the quilombos of Brazil, who gave us capoeira and the roots of samba. In Colombia, such communities are called palenques, and in the 70s Son Palenque (Palenque Sound) brought their sound to Colombia. Sung in the Palenquera language (which, like Garifuna, is a fusion of European, native American and African dialects) Son Palenque's music is infused with the rhythms and rituals of Africa, preserved in the forests of Colombia. Tracks such as ‘Atina Tina’ and the gorgeous ‘Chofao Apele’ sound like a mix between West Africa and Bahian capoeira music with call-and-response singing over shifting, syncopated percussion. Others, like ‘Cumbia Africana’ lay bare the African roots of cumbia, with hypnotic percussion dominated by a deep resonant bass drum, accompanied by swirling Afrobeat guitar.

The tracks – which were recorded in the 70s and 80s – have the authenticity and spontaneity of live recordings. Their reissue ensures that the music of an important Colombian band can be appreciated by the Shakira generation.