Armonía Colombiana

Armonía Colombia is comprised of Rubén Darío Usma, director and vocals; César Montoya, vocals and guitar; Olga Arango, tiple and guitar; and Carlos Alberto Pardo, keyboard. All, except Arango, are from Cali and performed together there; Arango is from Armenia in the Andes, the main region for the tiple.

Other musicians, such as the professional singers Luz Ena Rojas and Claudia Díez, sometimes perform with Armonía, while Armonía’s musicians sometimes appear with other groups. Rubén Darío Usma is a Protestant missionary who is very active in sacred performance and composition “of praise and devotion.” César Montoya, conservatory-trained in voice, serenades restaurant clienteles on weekends with Roberto Fontalva, as the “Duo Sentimiento.” Olga Arango is in demand as a tiple performer with a number of musicians. Carlos Alberto Pardo, a physician in Cali, supports his family through music in Miami as both a sound technician and keyboard accompanist, including playing with improvisatory violinist Martha Elena Sánchez.

Armonía Colombia performs song compositions in folkloric style, many of which have entered oral tradition. These songs often refer to beloved places in Colombia: the country as a whole, regions, cities, and neighborhoods. Many ensembles and singers in Miami perform songs such as the bambucos “Soy colombiano” by Rafael Godoy and “La ruana” by Carlos González and José Macías. These songs are sung both at large public events or in the more intimate noche bohemia, an informal gathering in a club or home. For cultural outsiders, the same repertoire is performed with pride as a musical tour of Colombia.

Photograph Gallery
At Home with Armonía Colombiana.
Photographs by Richard Patterson.

Rubén Darío Usma, vocals and cuatro; César Montoya, guitar; Olga Arango, guitar and cuatro; Carlos Alberto Pardo, keyboard and tiple.