CauCaribe is a music group from Popayán, District of Cauca, Colombia. As the name reveals, the group plays mostly traditional Colombian rhythms from Cauca, and from the Caribbean, such as different variations merengue and cumbia. The lyrics of the non-instrumental folkloric songs tell about the history of Colombia.

At a rehearsal of CauCaribe

Thanks to Couchsurfing and my host’s friendships, I was able to attend the rehearsal of CauCaribe. One of the singers, Andrea Tostano (the woman on the right in the videos), took me there. I discovered a space where music was created with amazing simplicity.

In this video, the group members of CauCaribe tell about the various instruments. What they are made of, how they are played, and which role they have in traditional music. Even if you don’t understand Spanish, check out the end of the video to see how the instruments are played!

The second video is a short clip of a song with vocals.

If you haven’t yet read my post on indigenous Colombian crafts, here’s an interview with Colombian craftsman Nacho in Salta, Argentina.