South America is a torrent of musical influences, intersections.
The continent's indigenous population forged their own rhythms, their own sounds, before the influx of Spanish conquerors - and their African slave population - altered the make up of South American life forever.
Located in the cities of Colombia, the sound of Cumbia ties together each one of these styles. Focussing on the rhythm, Cumbia is the seam which runs through almost every aspect of Colombian life.
English producer Will Holland grew so fixated with the sound of Cumbia that he emigrated to Columbia in order to soak it up - all day, every day.
Returning with new album 'Los Miticos Del Ritmo' under his Quantic pseudonym, the producer has also completed 'Look Around The Corner' with Alice Russell and the Combo Barbaro.
Holland has set out on the road. Using his Quantic moniker, the producer has teamed up with Alice Russell and the Combo Bárbaro.
ClashMusic tracked down Will Holland at his home in Colombia to discuss the roots, style and future of Cumbia.
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What was your introduction to the Cumbia sound?
I came accross Cumbia LPs and 45s in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Mainly large groups from Colombia like La Sonora Cordabesa and Hermanos Martelo, the more orchestrated sound of cumbia. After listening to alot of Mambo, Descarga and Pachanga, it attraccted me that Cumbia was slower, laid back and close to music like Rocksteady, Calypso and Compas.
Where did it evolve from?
Cumbia’s roots lie in the Carribean coast of Colombia, the rhythm, like so much of the Amercian continents great music, came out of the mix of European, African and Indigenous strands interwoven during the Colonial period. There are also many styles that seem quite close to cumbia at first glance, these are Porro, Tambora & Chande. Cumbia itself, popularised on a international level when the recording industry took off and it spread to Mexico, Peru and Argentina. Now it can be found in many forms, both folkloric and urban, and now digital.
What is the root of Cumbia? Is it the rhythm?
The rhythm is important, it is played on the Alegre drum, Llamador (that marks the off beat) and the Guacharaca. But in recent history, say since the 60s, the Acordeon has played a big role too in Cumbia. Like with all folkloric music around America, Latin America and the Carribean, the Accordion has been introduced into the folk music palette of instruments. In Colombia, its role is very important, just like with it is in Merengue from the Dominican republic or in Tipica music in Panama. Traditional cumbia is also played with the ‘Flauta de Millo’ and ‘Gaita’.
How wide spread in Columbian culture is Cumbia?
Historically speaking Cumbia, Vallenato and more widely ‘Musica Costena’ have been immensely popular in Colombia since the 40s, widely eclipsing all other Afro Colombian rhythms such as Curulao from the Pacific. Cumbia recordings are nothing new in Colombia, it is something that every generation has gotten down to since the phonograph was introduced to the Country. Its hard to consider it underground as it was the some of the best selling music in the late 60s, just like Mambo or Rumba was in the States in the 50s. Today, in a modern setting, I’d say that the resurgance of the cumbia sound is underground, though its getting more popular day by day, especially in the club scene of Bogota.
How have Western forms filtered into Cumbia? Are they welcomed, or seen as a dilution?
In Cartagena, Barranquilla and all around the coast, you cna find traditional folkloric groups
who most likely play a style that is unchanged, something close to what you might hear 200 years ago, but who really knows for sure. The most interesting thing about Folklore, is that it should reflect community in its present time while at the same time preserve the town’s memory: its history, oral tales and melodies. With time marching on and modernism changing lots of rural Colombia forever, that oral history and style is being lost. Today oral history is heard in recordings, thats the new folklore.
Costeno music and all of its rhythms: Cumbia, Porro, Garabato, Chande, Gaita, Maestranza, Paseo, Puya, Merengue, Son etc... continue to be preserved. But we cannot overlook the outside influences, in the past there were alot of influences from Cuban Son, Haitian Compas, Rock and Salsa. Bands were listening to new things, copying international trends, just like they do today. The barranquilla carnival has always been a central musical focus, where aside from the wealth of home grown music played, there is also a lot of Hi Life, Soukous, Salsa and Reggae to be heard.
Is Cumbia a live music, or have DJs taken control?
In the internet world, cumbia is the music of DJs, Ableton Live producers and bedroom cumbiamberos, but in its birthplace, the coast, it is still played live and recorded live with real
instrumentation. Music in that part of Colombia is not a material or life fashion choice, its just a part of daily life, an integral part of the culture they have there.
Where is Cumbia played?
At barranquilla Carnival every year, At the Cumbia Festival of El Banco Magdalena every year, by Carmelo Torres on Acordeon every night in San Jacinto, by the Picos (sound systems) in Cartagena and Barranquilla, At the many new clubs nights that play cumbia in both folk and electronic forms in Bogota, by the Sonidero sound systems of Mexico, in Peru, Argentina, Europe, the States....
Is the Cumbia scene attached to certain aspects of society?
In Colombia, Cumbia is something of the past, I think most young, lower class people are listening to reggaeton or romantic Vallenato. You have to remember the size of Colombia and that it is immensely musically diverse. So in Cali lets say, no one is listening to cumbia in the Barrios, it's irelevant, only maybe when you’re at a family wedding or birthday party. The good thing about the new interest in cumbia is that younger people are begginning to get into it again.
Is Cumbia politicised?
In Colombia, very rarely, only very recently and more because of a influence of rap culture. But cumbia in Colombia has always been a dance form, something celebrationary and lyrically more mystical than political. But new urban pioneers of Cumbia like Pernett and Systema Solar are changing that.
Has Cumbia moved beyond Colombia? Are there territorial divisions between South American musicians?
Well, people always will argue about the real origins of musical styles. The roots of Cumbia are firmly in Colombia but they ahve spread across all of the Americas. When Cumbia was dwindling in Colombia, it was thriving in Mexico, it has been kept alive by the people, which is a very wonderful thing.
Where is Cumbia heading next?
It seems to be getting more abtract and digital. I personally would like to hear less about cumbia in the future and more from the Pacific or styles like Porro and Champeta too.
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'Look Around The Corner' by Quantic and Alice Russell with the Combo Barbaro is out now on Tru Thoughts