Palenque Palenque: Champeta Criolla And Afro Roots In Colombia

Palenque Palenque: Champeta Criolla And Afro Roots In Colombia

• Music

Twenty one pulsating tracks drawn from the northern coasts of Colombia, 'Palenque Palenque!' reveals a unique and fascinating story of how Afro Colombian music developed from the 1970s onwards and how the local sound-systems in Cartagena and Barranquilla played such an important role in shaping the sound of the Colombian champeta. Soundway have unearthed a magical era, exposed a radical movement and have found some of the world's most eccentric and highly addictive modern dance music of the percussion heavy champeta sound, born out of a wave of popularity for psychedelic Afro, Latin & Caribbean music inspired by the DJs of the time. Co-compiled by Lucas Silva (resident of Bogota and owner of Palenque Records) and Soundway Records' Miles Cleret, the album highlights the long relationship that the Caribbean coast of Colombia has with Africa stretching back to the 17th century. This is a snapshot of the champeta sound that developed from the sound system culture of Colombian towns Baranquilla and Cartagena. The result of DJs mixing imported African and Carribean creole with homegrown Colombian sounds was a re-awakening for local groups who went on to produce new recordings morphing African rhythms into a highly danceable form of modern Colombian music.