Afropop Worldwide

Classic Streams
on Afropop Worldwide

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South America

South America usually conjures images of the continent's giant--Brazil. But smaller countries also have a dazzling variety of African-based music cultures. In this audio stream, we spotlight Afropop's travels in Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela.

A Visit to Colombia and Ecuador

Afropop Worldwide travels from Colombia's Caribbean coastal city of Cartagena to Quito in Ecuador. Featured is a visit to cultural center in Quito For live recording of local marimba music and Paulina Tomayo recorded live at national music festival.

Program credits:
Host: Georges Collinet
Field Recording & Co-Producer: Michael Jones
Co-Producer & Series Producer: Sean Barlow
Mix Engineer: Michael Jones

Program Log:
Opening on the streets of Cartagena, Colombia. Joe Arroyo song about Cartagena.
Story of Cartagena.
Background on Baranquilla carnival.
Visit to cultural center in Quito, Ecuador, feature on Afro-Ecuadorean marimba.
Interview with founder of Alti Plano group "rather cosmic."
Afropop's live recording in Quito of Paulina Tomayo and Los Hermanos Mino Naranjo
Afropop's live recording in Quito of Paulina Tomayo and Los Hermanos Mino Naranjo

Colombian Roots

Program Log:
From the roots of Afro-Colombian music to its newest stars, Georges Collinet invites us to join him in an exploration of this Latin American country's musical heritage. Carlos Vives, rock superstar leads off.
Colombia's eco and cultural diversity has given rise to a multitude of different rhythms and musical styles. Cumbia is one of the most famous.
The Colombian pop explosion did not occur until the late 40s and was initiated by the fusion of traditional Colombian rhythms and the New York big band sound. Lucho Bermudez was one of the protagonists of this movement.
Merecumbe, became popular in the 50s and 60s. Pacho Galán's music is in this style.
Vallenato, the accordion blues, is the country's most popular party music and recognized worldwide. Carlos Vives successfully modernized vallenato.
The Legends of Vallenato, an annual festival held in April, is the meeting and competing place of the best accordion players in the country. Alejo Duran, even after his death, he is heralded as the greatest accordian player of them all.

Suriname Roots Explosion

Afropop heads to Suriname, yet another place in South America where Africa can be seen and heard in the culture, people and music. Roots-influenced styles are shaking dance halls in Paramaribo-- meet us there and see why.

Program Log:
We start our focus on Suriname with a look at the 'Maroons' (descendants of slaves) population in the country's capital, Paramaribo. The Maroons took the urban music known as Kaseko and put their own twists and touches to it. One group doing this is the Excos.
Within the jungles of Suriname, the Maroons have created a number of societies that have preserved the culture and traditions of their African ancestors. Over the past twenty years, the large migration to urban areas brought with it an influx of African influence. Georges talks with Iwin Esbon, a white Surinamese who teamed up with the Cosmo Stars, a Maroon band in the early 80s which helped ignite the roots explosion.
The influence of Jamaican reggae is evident in Surinamese music especially in a new style that fused kaseko and reggae called ragga-kaseko.
We drop in on a concert hall in downtown Paramaribo.
George talks with Rudolf Anee of the band called Clemencia. They play their own style of music called aleke which is meant for dancing and social gathering. Then, a wake of a Juka Maroon woman followed by a comparison between the aleke and kaseko styles.
The Creoles, or the coastal area people, have their own style called kawina. Kawina is almost as popular as kaseko and it is no surprise the two styles have fused to create Kaskawi. Isasi is now one of the most popular bands in Suriname.
Because of the historical links between Suriname and the Netherlands, it is not surprising that many Surinamese Roots musicians make their music there. Gabian is one of the most popular of these bands and a pioneer of Surinamese music in the Netherlands.

Visit to Venezuela

Georges takes on a Venezuelan tour and presents us with a wide array of musical styles and ryhthms from all around the country.

Program Log:
We begin our exploration of Venezuelan music out in the town of Higuerote, home of the first festival of Venezuelan culture. Here is a smokin' live recording of one of the jam sessions.
The geographic diversity of Venezuela leads to a multitude of different cultures which logically translate into a wide variety of musical styles. Music by Saúl Vera, Serenata Guayanesa, Alberto Naranjo y El Trabuco.
Georges interviews Gustavo Aguado. Aguado discusses his studies of folkloric Venezuelan music and how he incorporates Latin percussion in an amalgamation of styles with his group, Guaco.
Georges now presents us with yet another different Venezuelan musical style called chimbangueles.
Venezuelan country music: Musica llanera
From the country we go to the big city and the jazzy stylings of Maria Rivas.
Georges describes some of the traditional instruments in Venezuelan music such as los tambores de San Juan (San Juan's drums) and the folk harp. For our musical examples, we go back to the Festival for Popular Venezuelan Culture where hear from a potpourri of jam sessions.
From the Afro-Colombian dominated town of Barlovente, we finish our visit to Venezuela with the beautiful singing of Sebastiana Monterola.

Visit to Afro-Peru

A VISIT TO AFRO-PERU: SUSANA BACA AND BEYOND We visit the international ambassador of Afro-Peruvian music, Susana Baca, at her home in Lima for conversation and music. Percussion discussion on the cajon, cajita, and donkey jaw. And we hear local stars--Pepe Vasquez, Lucilla Campos, Olga Miya--not known much in the outside world.

Program Log:
Programs opens with Pepe Vasquez live in Peru.
Background on Africa in Peru. Visit with Susana Baca at her cultural research center. Susana talks about the lando rhythm.
Portrait of Lucila Compos. Lucila live in Lima. Susana Baca talks about widely sung Peruvian anthem "Toro Mata".
Drummer Manongo Mujica in Lima talks about Spanish attempt to prohibit drumming by Afro-Peruvians.. Percussion discussion about the cajon and cajita. Quijada de burro (the donkey jaw).
Portrait of Peru's leading folkloric ensemble, Peru Negro. Description of alcatraz dance.
Portrait of Peru's leading folkloric ensemble, Peru Negro. Description of alcatraz dance.
Portrait of Peru's leading folkloric ensemble, Peru Negro. Description of alcatraz dance.