Where do cumbia and vallenato come from in Colombia?
Both are from Colombia's Caribbean coast: cumbia was born near Cartagena in the time of slavery, with African drums and the flauta de millo, a cane flute; vallenato is younger, from Valledupar, played on an accordion that came from Germany by ship in the late 1800s, with a caja and a guacharaca.
Two musics, side by side
| La cumbia | El vallenato | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it was born | The coastal villages near Cartagena, in the time of slavery | Valledupar, in the interior of the coast; the Greater Magdalena region |
| Instruments | African drums and the flauta de millo, a cane flute with a high sound | The accordion, a caja (small drum) and a guacharaca, a wooden tube scraped with a fork |
| Age | The older one | Younger: the accordion arrived from Germany by ship at the end of the nineteenth century |
| What it is for | A dance: the woman with a candle in her hand, the man circling her | Sung news, once: musicians went from village to village telling what was happening |
| Today | Heard in more countries than any other Latin American rhythm: slower in Mexico, cumbia villera in Argentina's poor neighbourhoods | The Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata in Valledupar every April; on UNESCO's Urgent Safeguarding List since 2015 |
- Cumbia mixes African drums, indigenous flutes and Spanish lyrics; it was born in the time of slavery in the coastal villages near Cartagena.
- Because enslaved people could not dance together, the woman danced with a candle in her hand and the man circled around her; the candle and the wide skirt are still part of the dance.
- Vallenato's instrument is the accordion, which arrived from Germany by ship at the end of the nineteenth century, accompanied by a caja and a guacharaca.
- Cumbia changed in each country it reached: slower in Mexico; in Argentina, cumbia villera is the music of the poor neighbourhoods.
La cumbia es la más antigua: mezcla tambores africanos, flautas indígenas y letras en español.Cumbia is the older one: it mixes African drums, indigenous flutes and lyrics in Spanish.
Su instrumento es el acordeón, que llegó de Alemania en barco a finales del siglo diecinueve.Its instrument is the accordion, which arrived from Germany by ship at the end of the nineteenth century.
Hoy la cumbia se oye en más países que cualquier otro ritmo latinoamericano.Today cumbia is heard in more countries than any other Latin American rhythm.
More about Cumbia and vallenato
- Why is vallenato on UNESCO's urgent safeguarding list?
- What Spanish words describe cumbia and vallenato music?
- Cumbia and vallenato
Sources
- La cumbia y el vallenato — Cumbia and vallenato
- Traditional Vallenato music of the Greater Magdalena region — UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage