Afropop Worldwide

Let's get the groove going this week with a tune from a Colombian producer, based in Switzerland, with overtones of West Africa and the Antilles, shall we?

Afropop is proud to present “Je Pense A Toi” by El Dragón Criollo making its premiere today:

The song comes from a split single on Barcelona-based label El Palmas Music coming out on a 7-inch on June 19, available digitally this Fri., May 22. The other single, “Cumbia Del Desierto” is the debut track from a mysterious outfit known only as La Jungla.

We know the man behind El Dragón Criollo as the Colombian producer Paulo Olarte Toro, though, and thoroughly dig the zouk-adjacent, retro feel on “Je Pense A Toi” as well as the gorgeous visuals of the video, shot in Ghana—fitting, since its reminiscent of those great, funky disco tracks put out BBE lately.

Since Congolese music caught the ears of the producers who would go on to create champeta, the Colombian Caribbean has proven to be a fertile place for African music to evolve in interesting ways. You can take the producer out of Colombia, but Toro reminds us, you wouldn't want to take the Colombia out of him.