How
I came to this music:
I was born in Cartagena, Colombia and ever since I was a small child I
dreamt of being a singer. Both my parents, though not professional, had
good voices and used to sing to us as children. I was never interested
in toys and dolls, but loved spending my time watching music performances
and shows on television. At 17 I began my musical career singing rancheras
with the mariachi band 'Dos Generaciones' and I had the opportunity to
tour with them all over Colombia. My big break came in 1998 when I finished
third in a competition organized by Radio Activa (radio station) with
a hundred others taking part. I then went on to represent the province
of Bolívar in a national competition at the Palacio de Deportes
arena in Bogotá singing the pop ballade 'Corazón, luna de
miel' by Elías Ospino.
I came to England in 2002 when the band I was playing with, Orquesta Original
de Cartagena won a competition to represent Colombia at the international
Music Village festival in London. The aim of the organisers was to bring
a new type of music to the festival. With Orquesta Original de Cartagena,
directed by Francisco Oyaga Baza, we performed traditional folk music
from the Cartagena region of Colombia on the Caribbean Coast. The music
of this region is different to much of the Latin music which is often
heard in Britain. The traditional repertoire includes the musical styles
of 'Cumbia', 'Fandango', 'Gaita', 'Porro', 'Vallenato' and 'Mapalé'.
The band is made up of a large wind section including the clarinette,
saxaphone, trumpet, trombone, tuba and even the sousaphone; together with
a percussion section with the guacho (a very large shaker), platillas
(small cymbals), and various drums - tambora, bombo and congas.
Where
I play:
I now have my own folk band, similar to Orquesta Original de Cartagena
but in addition to playing traditional Colombian music we also perform
a range of different styles including salsa, merenge and samba. Most of
us live in London where we perform at parties, carnivals and festivals.
As London is home to many people from South America, a major event for
us is performing at the 'Carnaval del Pueblo' (Village carnival) - the
largest Latin American festival in Europe. I also teach children of all
ages traditional dance, music, percussion and singing and at times they
perform with the band.
A
favourite song:
I have many favourite songs but the one I love is a traditional 'cumbia'
from my country called 'Colombia Tierra Querida'. It's a really famous
song with a strong rhythm and beautiful melody. When I'm on stage performing
it, playing the guacho and singing I feel like I'm back at home in Colombia
where the sun is forever shining.
Latin
Ref Ang 01 comes with Vocal, Percussion and Keyboard
