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Colombian Musical Traditions in Miami |
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Colombians represent the largest and oldest South American community in Miami, with a population of well over 100,000. Colombians have migrated to Miami in various waves since the 1950s, in response to country’s political and economic crises. Many Colombians in South Florida, including the newest immigrants, are from the middle and upper classes. A wide range of Colombian musical traditions are performed in Miami. The subtly syncopated bambuco rhythm of the Colombian Andean region and the twelve-string tiple are often considered to be the national music and instrument. In Miami, bambucos are composed by such musicians as Eugenio Arellano and Lucho Vergara, who is also an expert maker of tiples. African-influenced dance music of Colombia’s Caribbean coast—porro,
cumbia,
and vallenato—has
become popular throughout Colombia and now represent the country internationally.
Vallenato, traditionally played on a Hohner accordion, caja
(small drum), and guacharaca
(scraper), is in great demand in Miami restaurants and clubs. Among the
many bands that perform this music are Los
Príncipes del Vallenato, led by David Granados; La
Típica Vallenata, led by Jesús Hernández; and
Juan José y su Orquesta, led by Juan
José Meza. Vallenato instrumentation and style have been adapted
for a wider commercial market by the innovative, Miami-based Carlos Vives.
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Biographies, Photographs,
Photograph by Martha Ellen Davis.
Photograph by Nathalia Franco. |
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One of the largest Afro-Colombian ensembles in Miami is La Gran Banda: Orquesta y Papayera, founded and directed by Henry March. The papayera, a dance band comprised of a municipal brass band with additional percussion instruments, is characteristic of Colombian towns of the Caribbean coastal region. La Gran Banda plays at various festivals and other events in South Florida. Música llanera of Los Llanos (The Plains) is beloved throughout Colombia and Venezuela alike. Colombian performers of this musical genre in Miami include the group Morichal, led by the multi-instrumentalist Peter Rima, and the more contemporary-oriented ensemble of singer Astrid Bulla. Música llanera and other folk traditions are a source of inspiration for many composers/singers in Miami, such as Rubén Darío Usma and his Armonía Colombiana. Often new compositions pass into the community’s oral tradition. Colombians in Miami enjoy gathering in their homes for an evening of informal singing and poetry recitation, called a “noche bohemia.” Biographies,
Photographs,
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Photograph by Martha Ellen Davis.
Photograph by Martha Ellen Davis.
Photograph courtesy of Astrid Bulla.
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