Why Shakira loves this African beat

Colombia’s folk beat has African roots.

Cumbia is a growing staple of Latin American music. Its driving beat can be heard all over the continent, from Argentina to Mexico to the US. Cumbia’s catchy rhythms can be traced back to the villages along the river banks of Colombia’s Rio Magdalena where mostly African and American indigenous musical elements fused together to create a whole new style of music. And cumbia keeps evolving. Today DJs and pop stars are bringing cumbia into the electronic realm. But no matter how much it evolves, it always comes back to Colombia.

Watch the full season of Vox Borders: Colombia

Note: The headline for this video has been updated since publishing.
Previous headline: How this African beat spread through Latin America

[johnnyharris]

I hope you liked the episode! Little backstory: When I got to Palenque (the village with African heritage) my original contact wasn’t there and wasn’t answering his phone. I was low key freaking out. I had traveled all this way and now had no one to talk to for the video. So I literally found someone on the street and asked “is there anyway you can tell me about this village’s music traditions” That person was Benicio (who you saw in the vid) and he was super knowledgable and skilled. I got lucky but it also goes to show that in this village, rhythm, tradition, history is something everyone understands and participates in. Really cool experience.

[NateandNoahTryLife]

Oh my god a combination of borders and the music series... *this is what I’ve needed*

[luishrndzz]

Thank you Johnny for visiting my country and showing a different face of it to the world, I aprecciate it so much, I'm from cartagena, and it almost make me cry when i see my beautiful people in a vox video, one of my favourite channels, Thanks johnny, and hope we see you later in here..COLOMBIA

[Toastwig]

This is such a well structured video. Starts with something familiar (Shakira) as an inroad to a new topic. Talks about the beat itself. Mini history lesson. And travelling with the story where it leads. Well done!

[Splendidjosh]

As a person of African descent, it’s nice to see how African culture permeates so many different countries despite the unfortunate circumstances that caused it.

[thomasdantas]

The surefire way to know if it's cumbia is just wait until a vocalist yells:

[corocorascringechannel]

I'm glad americans (and the rest of the World) are recently starting to make a sense of Colombia outside of Escobar and the internal conflict. Since I was born in the same region the video is concerned with (the caribbean coast) I specially enjoyed this one. Keep up like this!

[meocean]

As an African there are two things I always do whenever I see this kind of reportage, am thankful for the people who embraces our contribution in many cultures across the world and remember that no matter what those people who deny it are thinking, deep down they know that just like everyone we great people with a pure heart and a way older connection to our beautiful planet

[capitaleño]

Damn, as soon as that acordeon joined, that cumbia was poppin 🔥, incredible the difference that one instrument can make!

[MusicCch]

Man i love Shakira, she is colombian of middle Eastern background and she somehow maneged to blend pop, cumbia and arabic music.

[OzmaPlus]

Cumbia here in El Salvador has become a tradition because of the influence of one man from Colombia, his legacy now is strong as the years pass after his dead, Aniceto Molina.

[funny-video-YouTube-channel]

*Shakira loves her children.*
The Colombian people love to dance. We can be very happy that they invented cumbia for all of us to enjoy.
Great music for dancing !

[IngeniebrioCivil]

Cumbia is probably one of the most extented rythm in latinamerica, from Colombia to the south of Chile and Argentina.

[martinduval]

I really appreciate, as a Colombian, the fact that you are making these series❣️ it really shows the true side of Colombia, a country that has suffered a lot but that keeps shining.

[OzoneVisuals]

So much love to you guys at Vox for allowing to send this guy to Colombia 💛💛💙❤️. Us Colombians are so tired of just hearing the negatives about the country’s past (I’m aware they made a video on Escobar’s hippos) and it’s so delightful to be able to share such a culturally rich video like this to my friends who don’t know too much about my culture. THANK YOU SO MUCH 💛💛💙❤️

[pranab]

Its an earworm. You keep hearing in different places.

[davidc-l]

It's so refreshing to see Colombia—a country very much still recovering from decades of turmoil fueled by, in large part, the U.S. drug trade—painted in such a positive light. Colombia is, at its core, a beautiful country rich with beautiful history and beautiful people. Cumbia is one of the many treasures I'm thankful to have been introduced to by my Colombian husband.

[alejandropaez]

I'm loving Colombian versions of borders. As a native Colombian, I'm so proud of the episodes and you showcasing our culture so perfectly. Viva Colombia

[harlemosama]

you see people? we are way more than just drugs, viva Colombia.

[FlowerItzel]

I love cumbia 😍 I’m Mexican from la costa grande de guerrero and we have a lot of influence from Colombian cumbia because Aniceto Molina a musician from Colombia made it popular there. I also love the country of Colombia and I hope one day I can visit there 😊