Tiempos Buenos

Grupo Rebolú are the best AfroColombian ensemble working out of New York City, and arguably the best of their kind in the US. Their upbeat, danceable blend of the traditional roots music found along the Afro-Caribbean coast of Colombia with contemporary instruments and the outward-looking vibe of the Big Apple has, since their formation in 2008, resulted in the albums Abriendo Caminos (Opening Roads) and Next Stop – forward-looking titles that reinforce a remit to stay true to cultural roots while forging new paths.

The story of the band’s core members – singer, composer and gaitero Ronald Polo and master percussionist Morris Canate (childhood friends from Barranquilla) and vocalist and cuatro player Johanna Castaneda – has been channelled into the crowd-funded Tiempos Buenos (Better Times), a work inspired by stories of immigrants leaving their homelands in search of a better life. Ten songs composed and arranged by the golden-voiced Polo embrace Afro-Colombian rhythms including gaita, tambora, chalupa, bullerengue and the ever-popular cumbia; instruments range from the native gaita (flute fashioned from a hollow cactus stem) and alegre drum (think an Afro-Colombian djembé) to guitar, bass and horns that keep things bright and grooving. Standouts include the effervescent title-track and ‘Que Paso’, on which Castaneda gets to shine.