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The birthplace of cumbia : The Picture Show : NPR

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Grupos gaiteros, bailarines y público en general, desfilan hacia el cementerio de San Jacinto, Colombia, el 14 de agosto de 2022.

Gaitero groups, dancers and the general public parade to the cemetery in San Jacinto, Colombia, on Aug. 14, 2022.

Karla Gachet


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Karla Gachet

This is part of a special series, Cumbia Across Latin America, a visual report across six countries covering the people, places and cultures that keep this music genre alive.

All dance was seen as rebellious during colonial times. The Caribbean coast of Colombia witnessed the birth of cumbia in the river system of the Mompos Depression, an immense wetland, and in a small mountain range known as Montes de María. During the colonization of America in the 16th century, thousands of enslaved individuals arrived from the African continent at the port of Cartagena. Forced to leave their homeland, they brought their music, religious drums and spirituality. These drums were also used to send secret messages during the maroonage process.

De izquierda a derecha, Diomar Trigos, Esneider Páez, Humberto Cañizares y Sebastián Suárez se encuentran en la calle después de participar en el Desfile Pocabuyano en El Banco, Magdalena, Colombia, durante el Festival Nacional de la Cumbia, el 15 de octubre de 2022.

Diomar Trigos (from left to right), Esneider Páez, Humberto Cañizares and Sebastián Suárez stand in the street after participating in the Pocabuyano Parade in El Banco, Magdalena, Colombia, during the National Festival of Cumbia, on Oct. 15, 2022. They are representing the town of San Alberto, Cesar, and are wearing traditional cumbia clothing.

Ivan Kashinsky


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Ivan Kashinsky

Workers unload sand at the El Cesar dock in El Banco, Colombia, on August 8, 2022. In the distance, a fishing boat is also seen returning to the dock. El Banco and its surroundings along the Magdalena River are considered by many to be the birthplace of cumbia. The National Cumbia Festival, which takes place at El Banco Magdalena, was founded in 1968, in honor of the legendary composer José Benito Barros Palomino. Trabajadores descargan arena en el muelle de El Cesar en El Banco, Colombia, el 8 de agosto de 2022.A la distancia se ve a un barco pescador tambien regresando el muelle. Muchos consideran que El Banco y sus alrededores a lo largo del río Magdalena son la cuna de la cumbia. El Festival Nacional de Cumbia, que se lleva a cabo en El Banco Magdalena, fue fundado en 1968, en honor al legendario compositor José Benito Barros Palomino.

Workers unload sand collected farther down the river and brought to El Cesar’s dock near El Banco, Magdalena, Colombia, on Aug. 8, 2022.

Karla Gachet


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Karla Gachet

José Benito Africano Mendoza sings cumbias to people hanging out along the Magdalena River in El Banco, Magdalena, Colombia, on August 7th, 2022. Africano composes and performs cumbias, Including “Nostalgia de me Tierra,” a song about El Banco. Although Africano is talented, his songs are unpublished and his dream of playing at the Festival Nacional de Cumbia, which takes place in El Banco,has not been realized. He plays music on the streets for tips. Many consider El Banco and the surrounding areas along the Magdalena River to be the birthplace of cumbia. The Festival Nacional de Cumbia, which takes place in El Banco Magdalena, was founded in 1968, in honor of the legendary composer José Benito Barros Palomino.

José Benito Africano Mendoza sings cumbias to people hanging out along the Magdalena River in El Banco, Magdalena, Colombia, on Aug. 7, 2022.

Ivan Kashinsky


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Ivan Kashinsky

The swamp region was home to many Indigenous cultures, now referred to as amphibious due to their proximity to water. These cultures are said to have used flutes made from bone in ceremonial rites. In the Montes de María, where additional Indigenous groups lived, small statuettes of human figures with instruments resembling gaitas (Indigenous flutes) — also known as chuanas — have been found. The clothing used in traditional dance, trova, and couple dancing, and the language of the songs exemplify European influence. The musical instruments of this region are crafted from the earth, mimicking birds that fly along the banks of rivers, the sound of rain or the beating of a heart.

COLOMBIA - Carlos Casas Serrano makes a tambor alegre, a traditional drum used in cumbia, in the workshop of Colilo Lara, on August 12th, 2022, in San Jacinto, Bolivar, Colombia, during the Festival Nacional Auntóctono de Gaitas. Colilo, also without a shirt, chats with another man. Colilo is the son of one of the original Gaiteros de San Jacinto and has been making drums for over fifty years. Gaita is a traditional instrument made from a cactus and is tied to the origins of cumbia. COLOMBIA - Carlos Casas Serrano fabrica un tambor alegre, tambor tradicional usado en cumbia, en el taller de Colilo Lara, el 12 de agosto de 2022, en San Jacinto, Bolívar, Colombia, durante el Festival Nacional Auntóctono de Gaitas. Colilo, también sin camiseta, charla con otro hombre. Colilo es hijo de uno de los Gaiteros de San Jacinto originales y lleva más de cincuenta años fabricando tambores. La gaita es un instrumento tradicional elaborado a partir de un cactus y está ligado a los orígenes de la cumbia. Colio Lara No shirt blue shorts Contact: 320 7825823 304 6704107

Carlos Casas Serrano makes a tambor alegre, a traditional drum used in cumbia, in the workshop of Colilo Lara on Aug. 12, 2022, in San Jacinto, Bolivar, Colombia, during the Festival Nacional Auntóctono de Gaitas.

Ivan Kashinksy


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Portrait of Orlando Jose Blanco Alvarez and his tambor alegre on Aug. 12th, 2022, during the Festival Nacional Autóctono de Gaitas in San Jacinto, Colombia. A conjunto de gaitas, an ensemble featuring flutes of indigenous origin and Afro-Colombian drums, plays rhythms such as cumbia in its most traditional setting. Retrato de Orlando José Blanco Álvarez y su tambor alegre el 12 de agosto de 2022, durante el Festival Nacional Autóctono de Gaitas en San Jacinto, Colombia. Un conjunto de gaitas, formado por flautas de origen indígena y tambores afrocolombianos, toca ritmos como la cumbia en su ambiente más tradicional.

A portrait of Orlando Jose Blanco Alvarez and his tambor alegre on Aug. 12, 2022, during the Festival Nacional Autóctono de Gaitas in San Jacinto, Colombia.

Karla Gachet


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Karla Gachet

Hundreds of participants, dancers, musicians, empresses, parade through the city of El Banco, Magdalena, Colombia during the Festival Nacional de la Cumbia José Barros Palomino 2022.

Hundreds of participants, dancers, musicians and cumbia queens parade through the city of El Banco, Magdalena, Colombia, during the Festival Nacional de la Cumbia José Barros Palomino on Oct. 15, 2022.

Karla Gachet


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Yojan David Laguna Ospino and Jakelin Guillen Epalza, both age 11, from the dance group, Costa Azul Danza Indio Manzos, pose in the community of Playa Blanca (Guamal), near El Banco Magdalena, Colombia, on August 6th, 2022.

Yojan David Laguna Ospino and Jakelin Guillen Epalza, both 11, from the dance group Costa Azul Danza Indio Manzos, pose in the community of Playa Blanca in Guamal, near El Banco, Magdalena, Colombia, on Aug. 6, 2022.

Ivan Kashinskhy


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Melgen Melendez Baena, a cumbia dancer from Barranquilla, holds up his hand, as Cristobal Perez santos, 72, in a wheel chair, watches the parade of gaitero groups and dancers move through the town and then to the cemetery to pay tribute to the late gaiteros on August 14th, 2022, in San Jacinto, Bolivar, Colombia, during the Festival Nacional Auntóctono de Gaitas. Gaita is a traditional instrument made from a cactus and is tied to the origins of cumbia.

Melgen Melendez Baena, a cumbia dancer from Barranquilla, holds up his hand as Cristobal Perez Santos, 72, watches the parade of gaitero groups and dancers from his wheel chair as they move through the town and then to the cemetery to pay tribute to the late gaiteros on Aug. 14, 2022, in San Jacinto, Bolivar, Colombia.

Ivan Kashinksy


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The gaita ensemble, Son de Quitasol, practice on August 13th, 2022, during the Festival Nacional Autóctono de Gaitas de San Jacinto. One of the local schools was used by the musicians coming from other places, as a place to sleep.

The gaita ensemble Son de Quitasol practice on Aug. 13, 2022, during the Festival Nacional Autóctono de Gaitas de San Jacinto. One of the local schools was used by musicians from other places as a place to sleep.

Karla Gachet


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Karla Gachet

COLOMBIA - Yieson Landero, grandson of the legendary cumbia composer, Andrés Landero, records a cumbia song in Estudio Mastil Récords, on August 12th, 2022, in San Jacinto, Bolivar, Colombia, during the Festival Nacional Auntóctono de Gaitas.

Yeison Landero, grandson of the legendary composer Andrés Landero, records a song at Estudio Mastil Récords on Aug. 12, 2022, in San Jacinto, Bolívar, Colombia, during the Festival Nacional Autóctono de Gaitas.

Ivan Kashinsky


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José Benito Africano Mendoza fishes in the Magdalena River, poses with his guitar in his house and cleans fish in El Banco Magdalena, Colombia, on August 7th, 2022. Africano composes and performs cumbias, Including “Nostalgia de me Tierra,” a song about El Banco. Although Africano is talented, his songs are unpublished and his dream of playing at the Festival Nacional de Cumbia has not been realized. Many consider El Banco and the surrounding areas along the Magdalena River to be the birthplace of cumbia. The Festival Nacional de Cumbia, which takes place in El Banco Magdalena, was founded in 1968, in honor of the legendary composer José Benito Barros Palomino.

José Benito Africano Mendoza poses for a photo with his guitar in his home in El Banco Magdalena, Colombia, on Aug. 7, 2022.

Ivan Kashinsky


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Ivan Kashinsky

Emilia Reyes Salgado, known as “la Burgos la Meya,” is one of the best bullerengue singers from San Basilio de Palenque, the first free town in America. Half an hour away, in Arjona, resides Petrona Martinez, the winner of the 2021 Latin Grammy for best folk album, with Ancestras. In María la Baja lives Pabla Flores, who comes from a lineage of singers and has established a school in honor of her mother, who taught her to sing. The African roots of cumbia are expressed not only through its percussion instruments — the tambor alegre, the llamador and the tambora — but also through the voices of ancestors reflected in the sung dances of the region. Black and Afro-descendant women in Colombia are at the heart of these songs, transmitting this legacy from generation to generation.

Portrait of Ana Regina Ardila Matos, in her town of San Martin de Loba, Bolivar department, Colombia on August 5th, 2022. Ardila is a cantadora of a rhythm called “Tambora” which uses the same instruments and is related to cumbia. Ardila comes from a tradition of cantadoras, women who compose songs of their daily life. It is passed down through oral tradition. Most of the cantadoras in the region have grown up in areas of poverty, conflict and displacement. Many consider El Banco and the surrounding areas along the Magdalena River to be the birthplace of cumbia. The Festival Nacional de Cumbia, which takes place in El Banco Magdalena, was founded in 1968, in honor of the legendary composer José Benito Barros Palomino. Retrato de Ana Regina Ardila Matos, en su pueblo de San Martín de Loba, departamento de Bolívar, Colombia el 5 de agosto de 2022. Ardila es cantadora de un ritmo llamado “Tambora” que utiliza los mismos instrumentos y está relacionado con la cumbia. Ardila proviene de una tradición de cantadoras, mujeres que componen canciones de su vida cotidiana. Se transmite a través de la tradición oral. La mayoría de las cantadoras de la región han crecido en zonas de pobreza, conflicto y desplazamiento.

Ana Regina Ardila Matos poses for a portrait in her hometown of San Martín de Loba, Bolívar, Colombia, on Aug. 5, 2022. Ardila is a cantadora of a rhythm called tambora, which uses the same instruments as cumbia and is closely related. She comes from a tradition of cantadoras — women who compose songs about daily life and pass them down through oral tradition.

Karla Gachet


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Karla Gachet

Elida Cañates braids extensions on Suleidis Villegas’ hair on Aug. 4th, 2022, in Palenque de San Basilio, Colombia. The specific style is called “caminos”. Afro-colombian women wear different hairdos depending on the occasion. This is a part of the culture and history. San Basilio de Palenque is known for being the first free town in America. Slaves escaped and created their own towns such as Palenque in Colombia in the 17th century. Of the many palenques of escaped enslaved Africans that existed previously, San Basilio is the only one that survives. Women used to have escape maps on their braided heads.

Elida Cañates braids extensions on Suleidis Villegas’ hair on Aug. 4, 2022, in Palenque de San Basilio, Colombia. The specific style is called “caminos.”

Karla Gachet


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Karla Gachet

A fiesta in barrio El Cesar in El Banco, Colombia, on August 7th, 2022. This was the day the new president of Colombia was inaugurated, so the people in the neighborhood got together to celebrate and dance in front of the dock. The people in the photos are dancing Cumbia. Many consider El Banco and the surrounding areas along the Magdalena River to be the birthplace of cumbia. The Festival Nacional de Cumbia, which takes place in El Banco Magdalena, was founded in 1968, in honor of the legendary composer José Benito Barros Palomino.

Dawn illuminates the dock and the Magdalena River in El Banco Magdalena, Colombia, on August 9th, 2022. The culture of the area, including cumbia, is deeply tied to the river and the fishermen. Many consider El Banco and the surrounding areas along the Magdalena River to be the birthplace of cumbia. The Festival Nacional de Cumbia, which takes place in El Banco Magdalena, was founded in 1968, in honor of the legendary composer José Benito Barros Palomino. Contact: Juan Jose Perez: +57 311 4157158

Dawn illuminates the dock and the Magdalena River in El Banco Magdalena, Colombia, on Aug. 9, 2022. The culture of the area, including cumbia, is deeply tied to the river and the fishermen.

Ivan Kashinsky


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Ivan Kashinsky

San Jacinto, located in the Montes de María, is the epicenter of gaita music, famous for the Gaiteros de San Jacinto and the cumbia of Andrés Landero, one of the most beloved accordionists in Latin America. Historically, this region was also the territory of the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Front of Colombia). It is said that guerrillas would allow musicians to pass if they displayed their instruments. Amid a civil war lasting over half a century, the gaita — a pre-Hispanic flute made from the heart of a cactus and a duck’s feather — became a symbol of peace. These Indigenous sounds breathe life into cumbia.

Jose Benito Barros, originally from El Banco, Magdalena, wrote “La Piragua” and “El Pescador,” iconic Colombian cumbias. Early in his career, Barros did not perform the traditional rhythms of his region. This music, rooted in the experiences of fishermen and people who recite lyrics on the banks of the Magdalena River, was not initially accepted by the middle and upper classes of that time. However, upon realizing the popularity of these rhythms, Barros shifted his musical direction. In 1970, he held the first cumbia festival in El Banco, serving both as a judge and participant. His daughters, along with local elites, continue to host this festival every year. While the main port is decorated to impress the invited authorities, just a few blocks away, the most marginalized neighborhoods continue to face extortion from small armed groups.

Ingrid cifuentes, dances with candles, as people play gaitas and drums and dance cumbia in the main plaza on August 13th, 2022, in San Jacinto, Bolivar, Colombia, during the Festival Nacional Auntóctono de Gaitas. Gaita is a traditional instrument made from a cactus and is tied to the origins of cumbia.

Ingrid Cifuentes dances with candles as people play gaitas and drums and dance cumbia in the main plaza on Aug. 13, 2022, in San Jacinto, Bolivar, Colombia, during the Festival Nacional Auntóctono de Gaitas. Gaita is a traditional instrument made from a cactus and is tied to the origins of cumbia.

Ivan Kashinksy


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Ivan Kashinksy

This coverage was made with the support of the National Geographic Society Explorer program.

Karla Gachet and Ivan Kashinsky are photojournalists based in Los Angeles. You can see more of Karla’s work on her website, KarlaGachet.com, or on Instagram, at @kchete77. Ivan’s work is available on his website, IvanKphoto.com, or on Instagram, at @ivankphoto.

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