Equipment

Discover Colombia’s vibrant Caribbean music culture

Explore the vibrant culture of the contemporary Caribbean music scene in this Native Instruments original documentary. Producer Mauricio Alvarez takes us on a trip from Bogotá to the Colombian coast in an attempt to understand the spirit of Caribbean groove, highlighting the soundsystems, the artwork, and a generation of musicians and producers creating a new music all their own.

The music from Latin America’s Caribbean coast is a blend of African, European, Arabic, and indigenous music. These highly unique and influential genres have had a deep impact on worldwide culture and music. Colombia, situated on South America’s northwest corner, has given birth to a number of these genres, including cumbia, salsa, and champeta, while constantly updating and reinventing sounds for modern audiences.

Colombian sound systems, known as picós (a South American adaptation of the English word ‘pick-up’), are deeply rooted in the country’s musical culture. Wild, all-night dance parties are commonplace, with the sound systems often being family-run affairs. Each sound system has a strong visual identity – with the paintings and imagery on the speakers as important and unique as the music coming out of them.