Musical Palimpsests in the Colombian Caribbean

Author: Angela Soriano

On a cool autumn afternoon in Amsterdam, we had the privilege of talking with Juan Montoya, who recently culminated years of intense research with the presentation of his dissertation entitled “Caribbean Palimpsest: Music and Heritage in Northern Colombia”. Defended in July 2024, this work earned him a PhD from the University of Amsterdam and represents a profound exploration of music, memory and heritage in the Colombian Caribbean. In this interview, Montoya shared with us not only the findings of his research, but also the stories and reflections that bring his work to life.

To begin this interview, tell us how your interest in the study of Colombian Caribbean music started.
My interest in the music of the Colombian Caribbean emerged during my work as a journalist dedicated to culture and music in the late 2000s in Colombia. In this context, I was intrigued by the stories that music reveals and the narratives that people construct around it. Music, beyond being an artistic object, is a vehicle of cultural meanings, and my curiosity focused on understanding how people give it symbolic meaning through their narratives and imaginaries. This experience in media and outreach allowed me to appreciate the power of music as a tool to explore and understand broader cultural processes.
In my research, I attach great importance to what this implies in terms of class relations, race and how the picó becomes a figure that reflects unique ways of inhabiting and relating to space and sound, not only in the Colombian Caribbean, but also in other parts of the Caribbean.

For those of us who are not familiar with picó , could you briefly explain what it is?
Picó, as a collective listening practice, emerged in the Colombian Caribbean around the 1940’s. In essence, it is a sound system that has developed a unique personality in the Colombian Caribbean. It is much more than a sound system as it represents a deeply social collective listening practice, linked to dance, community interaction and the celebration of Afro-Colombian roots. Characterized by its monumental sound, the picó prioritizes thunderous bass, known in the region as meke, and a focus on frequencies that are not only heard with the ears, but felt with the body, creating an immersive sensory experience. Its visual aesthetic is also distinctive, with iconography inspired by Pan-Africanism and colors of the Ethiopian flag.

Initially conceived as a traveling discotheque, the picó has an ephemeral and mobile nature. It assembles and disassembles, allowing it to be in one place one day and in another the next. For this reason, it is sometimes described as a “sound invasion”. It functions like a modern-day “town hall”, uniting communities through the power of sound.
Through vinyl records, picó introduced African sounds to Colombia in the 1960s and 1970s, connecting the Caribbean with musical centers such as Kinshasa, Johannesburg and Lagos. This music, ignored by Western hegemonies, was integrated into the picó repertoire, highlighting the connection between Africa and Colombian traditions. In addition, the collecting of rare and exclusive records added a touch of competition between picós, giving them a unique personality and attracting followers for their unique repertoire.

Champeta is central to your research. What aspects of this genre captured your interest and prompted you to study it in depth?
One of the most fascinating aspects of champeta is its link to the African diaspora. In Cartagena, a city founded in 1533 and former epicenter of the slave trade in America, this genre emerges as a symbolic bridge to Africa. Since the 20th century, the arrival of African music recorded on vinyl records allowed the sounds, languages and stories of that continent to resound again in the region, breaking centuries of silence and isolation imposed by colonialism. This direct cultural exchange, often on the margins of European metropolises, established a transatlantic dialogue between Colombian, Caribbean and African people that challenged the dominant narrative of coloniality.
Champeta not only rekindles a connection to the African past, but is also a vehicle for the voices of marginalized communities. Through its lyrics and unique musical language, this music amplifies the voices of the slums, giving prominence to those who have historically been excluded. The picó is essential to this phenomenon, not only as a sound amplifier, but also as a means to experience the world sensorially from a different perspective. This practice could be described as a form of “sensing the world,” a unique approach to sound and music that reflects dynamics of class, race and space.

Your dissertation proposes a unique analysis of champeta as a musical palimpsest, could you elaborate on this concept?
Champeta can be understood as a musical rewriting that preserves traces of previous inscriptions. This musical genre combines historical and contemporary elements that reflect both the resistance of Afro-descendant communities and the colonial dynamics still in force in Cartagena, its cultural epicenter.
Champeta arose in part from the interaction between Palenquera music and the African rhythms that arrived on vinyl. These sounds not only connected the Afro-descendant diaspora with their roots, but also established a dialogue with the mestizo communities of northern Colombia. Artists such as Viviano Torres and Charles King, with roots in Palenque, use champeta to reclaim their origins and tell stories of resistance to colonial structures.
Viviano Torres & Ane Swing – MANIMAL

Cartagena, a former port of slave trade, reflects in its urban configuration the inequalities inherited from coloniality: the historic center for tourists and elites contrasts with the marginalized peripheries facing exclusion and structural inequality, reflecting the continuity of the dynamics of coloniality in the 21st century. In this context, champeta not only evokes historical memory, but also functions as a tool of cultural resistance.
By proposing the idea of palimpsest, I offer a perspective that recognizes the ruptures and transformations in cultural transmission, which validates the narratives of Afro-descendant communities beyond the often incomplete and silenced colonial archives. The idea is that, through this gaze, we can understand champeta not only as an echo of the past, but as an active exercise of cultural resistance and an expression of living memory.

In recent years, a movement has arisen that seeks to include champeta and other Afro-American cultural practices as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Colombia. Do you consider that this inclusion would contribute to the visibility and re-signification of Afro-descendant cultural expressions?
The proposal to include champeta as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Colombia has significant potential, although it poses both opportunities and challenges. This process seeks to re-signify and make Afro-descendant cultural practices visible through two approaches: the heritage framework and the multicultural policies of the Colombian State.
On the one hand, patrimonialization can transform imaginaries and grant symbolic legitimacy to these cultural expressions. Champeta, in particular, has had very committed local actors such as Corporación Roztro and Asomusichampeta, who have led an autonomous, community-based process that reinforces its identity and cultural meaning without relying exclusively on state validation. This internal approach is especially valuable, as it puts the narrative in the hands of the communities themselves.
However, this model is not without its limitations. While it may achieve symbolic recognition, it is unlikely that it alone will address structural problems such as institutional racism and historical inequalities. In a city like Cartagena, where the traces of slavery and coloniality are evident, champeta has a crucial role to play in highlighting these contradictions and opening up necessary debates.
Beyond official recognition, champeta already acts as a tool of resistance and memory, capable of amplifying messages from a city that symbolizes both colonial oppression and contemporary struggles.

Finally, could you recommend some champeta groups or singers that you like for someone who has never listened to champeta and wants to get into the genre?
A good starting point is Las Emperadoras de la Champeta, the first female instrumental champeta group. Their work stands out for its awareness of champeta as a practice of cultural memory. Also interesting is Keke Minowa, an artist from Cartagena who mixes champeta, dembow and reguetón, creating a bridge between traditional and modern urban sounds.
THE NATIVE CHAMPETÚA AND THE CHAMPETA EMPERORS

For those interested in exploring a historical source of picó, I recommend listening to compilations from two iconic sound systems such as El Rey de Rocha and El Imperio. The former has more than 60 volumes that bring together a large number of artists, while Imperio is a spin-off of El Rey de Rocha, with its own independent proposal.
La Chapetera – Keyvin Ce Ft Rey de Rocha (vol.66)

In a more commercial vein, artists such as Mister Black and DJ Dever stand out. This aspect reflects the influence of the music industry and more internationally known groups, such as Systema Solar and Bomba Estéreo, which combine elements of picó and electronic music.
Systema Solar – FRiKiAO (Official Video)

If you are interested in champeta’s connections to Africa, artists like Wganda Kenya and Abelardo Carbonó are a must. Although many do not consider Carbonó strictly Chametúo, his Congolese soukous-influenced guitars provided important foundations for the genre.
Wganda Kenya – Pim Pom