This week Sound Travels is all about the accordion. And why not? It is an instrument that really seems to have disappeared from American pop music but it wasn't always thus and it is certainly still an important ingredient in the music of my cultures throughout the world where it is variously called the acordeon, bandaneon, harmonika, bayan and many other regional names.
Today, we started the theme with music from one of my favorite areas of the world for music: Colombia. Appropriately, cumbia was born in Colombia in a confluence of influences and music from Africa, Europe and New World Natives. Early on, cumbia featured a stable of indiginous instruments and over time, were replaced by instruments common throughout Latin America like the accordion. European settlers and colonists were and have always been at the heart of the accordion's migrations and in Colombia we hear this play out in the wonderful music that was revolutionized by the accordion.
Here's what I played for you today...
Sound Travels - 08-28-12 Acordeon de Cumbia Minimix
Betopey "Cumbia Del Carnival"
Conjunto Los Rumberos "Cumbia del Puerto"
Combo Sampuesana "La Soberana"
Los Corraleros de Majagual "Los Sabanales"
El Hijo de Cumbia "Soy El Control"
Celso Pina "Cumbia Sobre El Rio Sueno"