Orinoco

Cimarrón are the most celebrated exponents of joropo, the music of the vast flatlands around the Orinoco River that stretch from eastern Colombia into western Venezuela. This is cattle country and the traditions and spirit of the region live on in their increasingly slick, virtuoso treatment of a style that echoes anything from the flamenco of the Spanish colonisers to the music of the African slaves.

After two albums for Smithsonian Folkways Recordings and a batch of awards including a Grammy nomination, Cimarrón are back with an often rousing and contemporary-sounding set. The harp, played by musical director Carlos Rojas, dominates the mainly acoustic line-up that includes bandola llanera, cuatro, indigenous deer-skull whistle, cajón and other percussion, along with what sounds like a dash of electronica. There are sturdy vocals from Ana Veydó on the weepy ‘Penitas De Mi Corazón’, but many of the best tracks are instrumentals like ‘Zumbajam’ where the rapid-fire playing edges towards jazz-funk underpinned by impressive bass work. And then there's the glorious, stomping ‘Caballo Viejo’, a reminder that the Gipsy Kings' hit ‘Bamboleo’ was based on this song by the Venezuelan singer Simón Díaz. They will be touring the UK early next year, joined by the great Welsh harpist Catrin Finch.