Geko Jones and Atropolis present Palenque Records Remixed, due to be released via Dutty Artz on June 25.

By Jeff Guerra

There’s a mass exodus going on, so it’s probably time we hit the brakes and talk about it for a moment. Colombian music has been flying out of the country for some time now, landing in the adoring embrace of offshore consumers who often can’t even understand its lyrics. This is not a new phenomenon of course, as Brazil, Cuba, and just about every African nation can certainly attest. So why is this such a unique tale?

Well, we’re mainly talking about Afro-Colombian music here, at a time when that phrase has just gone radioactive within its own national borders. Some of Colombia’s most pressing issues lead to an awkward discussion of race, and many of its citizens either don’t want to talk about this, or don’t know how. Enter Palenque Remixed, a new album full of Afro-Colombian music that has been reinterpreted by top producers associated with the Dutty Artz label based in New York City. For an exclusive preview, check out Jack Radio #154.

Son Palenque 

The album title references Palenque Records, a renowned music label run by Bogota-based Lucas Silva. It champions Afro-Colombian music and artists, including those in and around the village of San Basilio de Palenque.

Roughly an hour south of Cartagena, San Basilio was secretly founded in the 17^th century by African slaves who had escaped from their Spanish owners. The word palenque translates to “walled city”, and several of these protected enclaves were eventually founded in the country’s coastal regions. San Basilio is the only palenque still in existence, and traditional African customs are still practiced there today by direct descendants of the town’s founders.

The relevance of this place and the community it represents are completely underestimated when we consider where Colombia stands today, and where it wants to go. Estimates of the nation’s Afro-descendant population range between 10 and 40 percent, and this wild disparity is a raging controversy all its own. No matter which number one believes, it is generally accepted that Colombia is home to the world’s largest Spanish speaking population of African descent. This population is sitting out on the unseen margin of Colombia’s gleaming transformation narrative, an issue that the country realizes it must eventually address if it wants to fully achieve its economic, social, and political goals.

For now though, “walled city” is a rather appropriate image when it comes to race in Colombia. You’re more than welcome to hop the wall and visit the other side, and they’ll greet you with a smile, but not enough people have figured this out yet. Further, several large-scale factors are sustaining this racial division, starting with geography. The country physically ranges from lush mangrove jungles in Choco, to harsh desert plains in La Guajira and the dense mysteries of the Amazon, all separated by three jagged ranges of Andean peaks. Further, decades of violence meant regional travel was often impossible, and that combined with resulting displacement and property rights issues has left complex feelings of injustice and social prejudice on both sides.

A similarly divisive scenario played out in the United States during the mid-1980s, as lingering civil rights tensions allowed racial groups to blame each other for the crack epidemic. While they were doing so, 12-year-old kids of all colors hung posters of Michael Jackson and learned how to break dance. Guess what? Those kids grew up and voted Barack Obama into office.

Of course, we have to keep in mind that this occurred in a country where the need for individual expression drives consumption habits, allowing or even encouraging young adults to develop unique tastes that defy parents, peers, and society at large. This is an unrealistic scenario in traditional, hierarchic Latin America. The question therefore is, what will emerge as the true game changer for social inclusion in Colombia?

Batata with Lucas Silva, center

One thing the country’s recent international media attention has shown us is that Colombians are fascinated with how they are viewed by the rest of the world. Good or bad, they always seem to meet foreign commentary with an objective intellectual curiosity, which is very much part of their charm. They may or may not agree with your conclusions, but they’ll listen to what you have to say.

This brings us back to Palenque Remixed, which features select New York-based producers reinterpreting Afro-Colombian artists like Son Palenque and Sexteto Tabala. These artists are largely unknown in mainstream Colombia – and will probably remain so over the next several months – even as their remixed songs play at the hottest parties across North America and Europe. Would it shift a few perceptions back home if more Colombians knew about this? Might we see increased domestic pride and interest in Afro-Colombian music and culture, before it even gets to New York?

In truth, these winds are already blowing in some of the country’s more progressive cultural sectors. Venues such as Cali’s Mikasa and the Bogota-based Freaky Collective regularly promote events centered on Afro-Colombian music and culture. Even the government is recognizing this community’s cultural contributions as an attractive jewel in its shiny tourism crown: in a landmark move, it just opened a brand new tourism center within the ancient walls of San Basilio de Palenque.

These are fascinating times for Colombia, and many other nations trying to navigate some of the same issues. There’s a real chance to get some things right, hence the importance of expanding this dialogue out beyond standard political limits. The artists behind Palenque Remixed totally get this, looking to draw more voices into the discussion. We talked with some of them about the album, and the personal responsibilities they feel in reinterpreting this music for international consumption.

Jack: Let’s start with how Palenque Remixed came to life.

Lucas Silva, Founder of Palenque Records: The idea came when (New York DJ/production collective) Cumba Mela was here in Colombia and expressed an interest in Palenque music. I introduced them to my artists, and proposed the idea that they do a few remixes. We eventually decided to make a full album, and here we are.

Jack: Like a lot of material you guys work with, Palenque rhythms might be considered “folklore” or “roots music”, associated with minority indigenous or immigrant populations in developing countries. Your work can thus be considered part of a larger ongoing preservation vs. progress dialogue. What is it you want to say about this?

Geko Jones, left, and Atropolis, right

Geko Jones, Producer/DJ: To me this dialogue is really what the record is about. It’s what our friend Quantic aptly described as “tradition in transition”. Palenque has long been left to its own devices; the musical traditions carried forth there are rooted deep in African history and can be traced via slave ship routes. I personally feel like the project is a way to carry forward some of the rhythms and cadences, the rum-soaked, tobacco-smoked voices of the region, and the subtle wisdom of their songs. Remixing their sound is our attempt to make their music playable on nightclub sound systems and create some interesting new fusions of Afro-Colombian dance music.

Atropolis, Producer/DJ: For me, culture is my muse. I am inspired by the people of this world, and the music we make. It’s an interesting situation today – artists can easily draw influences from other cultures, without actually connecting with them. This to me is a double-edged sword. It’s great that we can easily learn about a new form of music with the click of button, but I also think it’s important to try and understand where this music is coming from.

In working directly with artists such as Son Palenque, Sexteto Tabala, and Las Alegres Ambulancias, I got to experience the humble, unconsumed, pure musical lifestyle of these individuals. They were born into performance as a way of life, a way to cope with their struggles, to celebrate, and to pass time. We really wanted to bring their music into the dancehalls of New York and around the world, mixing it in with other contemporary styles of music. Yes, we took this stuff and remixed it, but we made sure to stay as true to the original music as possible. I can only hope that those who discover this compilation look further into the artists we remixed.

Chief Boima, left, in Palenque

Chief Boima, Producer/DJ: For me every act of remixing, whether from within the community or from without, has to be contextualized by social context and the power structures that shape that context. As an artist I try and first acknowledge my positions of privilege, and then turn it around to use it as a tool to express my political views, and represent my (multi)-cultural experiences. I believe strongly in the intrinsic value of solidarity because we all sit in different positions in structures of privilege both in our own local contexts and globally.

My ultimate goal is always to create a more even playing field between those who do and don’t have access to expressing themselves in mainstream society global or otherwise, especially via modes of mass communication. Not everything I do advances this goal, but it’s always a motivating factor driving my work.

Captain Planet

Captain Planet, Producer/DJ: I think there are three main things that attract me to “roots” music and folkloric culture in general. One is the more heady/nerdy aspect of preserving and continuing interest in traditions that go back centuries. I’m an obsessive collector of old vinyl, and am attracted to historical non-fiction and biographical books & films. When I learn about historical struggles, periods of major transition and change, and personal stories from generations before me, I feel more connected to the bigger picture, the larger narrative. It gives me perspective.

Second, folkloric or roots music tends to be very much more about group participation and less about ego/image/pop-stardom. I love pop music, but I also feel the need to help promote the alternative. Music comes from a group of friends sitting around a campfire entertaining themselves, or from working together and making the labor less gruesome by passing the time with a song.

Roots music for me is about participating, not being a bystander. It’s about promoting a place and a culture as much as it is about promoting an artist.

Finally, I grew up going to Pow Wows, singing Lakota songs and doing sweat lodge ceremonies since I was 12 years old, so I guess my connection to indigenous music is very immediate and personal.

Jack: Many people are probably wondering how traditional Afro-Colombian artists feel about foreign producers coming here and remixing their music.

Justo Valdez, Son Palenque: To be honest, I like it, because I actually get paid royalties!

Lucas Silva: I know for my artists, it has everything to do with quality. They appreciate remixes that are well-made and respect the original material. If not, they basically don’t give it any thought.

Sidney Reyes, Ethnomusicologist and Afro-Colombian music collector: The artists see it as a way for their music to reach new audiences, including those in Colombia. Sina Makossa is a great example, a remix done by Chief Boima and Uproot Andy that is now popular in our picós (sound system parties on Colombia’s Atlantic coast). It carries these rhythms to other countries, while at the same time serving as a technical lesson that Colombian DJs and producers can learn from.

Jack: Let’s talk about social impact. When you guys are playing this blend of international rhythms in a nightclub setting, are you conscious of potential social or political statements you might be making, or is it just whatever sounds good together?

Thornato

Thornato, Producer/DJ: I am definitely conscious of the fact that 99.9% of the music I play is from somewhere that I am not.  I try to be as respectful as possible and preserve as much of the original style/song as I can when remixing the music.

Music and dance is medicine for the soul, a favorite example of which was playing Afro-Colombian champeta music on a beach in Goa, India, and watching as people were drawn to it from surrounding trance parties.

Chief Boima: For me, every time I am in front of a crowd it’s political. I think my mixing represents a multi-cultural vision of the world. I’ve definitely had antagonistic moments on stage, like in Liberia when I played working class music for political and economic elites.

My favorite moments are ones when I am able to connect with those who are surprised by their personal inclusion in my set. Like if they see this dreadlocked black North American playing Mexican cumbia, or this light-skinned rasta playing soukous. They run up and are excited and feel something deep in the connection of that moment. That to me is the essence of what I do music for, to make those connections and really illustrate that there are often cultural similarities that aren’t immediately evident, that both trace and obscure lines of history and/or class and/or race and/or language. That’s the most succinct political statement I can make in my work.

Geko Jones: I’ve been mashing up kuduro instrumentals from Angola against Afro-Colombian songs for years now; about a year ago I saw a slave trade map that reaffirmed my long held suspicion that there was some historical connection between the two countries and it really felt like two dots I wanted to connect. Overall though, I can say that from most of what I’ve heard there isn’t a lot of overtly inappropriate politics in Afro-Colombian music (a little chauvinism for certain). I try to edit my playlists accordingly, but I don’t see myself making a political statement inadvertently. I’m pretty intentional in what I play.

Jack: Since foreigners began playing and remixing Afro-Colombian music, have you seen a change in its popularity or acceptance within Colombia as a whole?

Lucas Silva: This is really a process – it’s advancing, slowly but surely. This is the third album Palenque Records has done that incorporates electronic music – the others being Faraon Bantu and Palenke Soultribe. This “electronic tribe” is definitely having an effect, opening dancefloors here in Colombia as well as in the USA and Europe.

Jack: There’s danger in cultivating a certain disposability factor with these unique global sounds, part of which is inherent in music and consumption in general. How does this movement avoid becoming a musical “flavor of the month” club? Is sustainability even possible?

Atropolis: Once music was seen as a commodity, the act of labeling it became an important aspect of marketing. We all tend to use these filters, but there’s a distinction between the opinions of bloggers and journalists and what the artists are actually doing.

As an artist I am continuously growing and changing, and will continue to change. I am fascinated with other forms of music and will continue onward to explore new avenues to expand my voice and to stay inspired. Whether or not this release (or any other) gets dubbed as “flavor of the month” is out of my control. I can see people saying various things, from “this stuff is so 2008” to others who think it’s the newest, freshest stuff out there.  It might sound cliche, but there are talkers and there are doers.

Captain Planet: There’s always going to be trends. That’s inseparable from fashion and art. If you focus too much on fitting in to the latest trend, you’re dooming yourself to be forgettable. At the same time, style and fashion trends speak to where people’s heads are, and that’s a tool to utilize as an artist. If you don’t pay any attention whatsoever to what other people are listening to, then your art probably won’t resonate with a very big crowd. It’s a balance, and the best ones can see those trends before they pop. They can push the boundaries of what we thought was possible or acceptable, and make it accessible. Sustainability comes to those artists who continually help people express themselves.

Jack: Is there a larger objective with these travels and collaborations you guys are undertaking? For example, do you look to document and expand these stories using new media?

Geko Jones: I’m very much hoping to be able to talk about this stuff on college campuses – in Afro-Caribbean studies classes and other diaspora-themed programs. In NYC, we’ve become the go-to opening act for folkloric groups like Sexteto Tabala, Los Gaiteros De San Jacinto, Lisandro Meza and even modern acts like Explosion Negra. To me, helping find work for these artists is the biggest coup I can offer, alongside trying to assist them in finding resources to get their music out there publicly. This is probably more beneficial to them than shoving cameras in their faces and trying to do a documentary.

Chief Boima: With these kinds of trips it’s always one step at a time. Three years ago, after visiting Palenque and Palenquero barrios in Barranquilla, I wrote a blog post and recorded a DJ mix of Champeta Criolla. That did its thing, made its rounds, and now I’m participating in this project. I am due for another visit to the Atlantic Coast, and then perhaps I’ll be involved in another project. If you look at these kinds of engagements with a long lens, whether in Colombia, Brazil, Jamaica, Ghana, wherever, for good or bad, the same people seem to always be behind the scenes of these types of media projects.

Estrellas Del Caribe

Jack: Expanding on the progressive/technological angle of all this, are Afro-Colombian artists maintaining contact with contemporary African music? Also, are we seeing young Afro-Colombian musicians and producers interested in remixing and evolving their own folkloric sounds?

Lucas Silva: The artists I work with on the Caribbean coast definitely remain connected to African music, although they’re a little more drawn to traditional rhythms like highlife, makossa and soukous as opposed to newer African trends.

As for young Afro-Colombian producers, maybe not so much remixing, but we definitely have a lot of new bands that are reinterpreting or modernizing their folklore, artists like Yembema, Alexis Play, Herencia de Timbiqui, among many others.

Justo Valdez: Whether our young artists are playing in the traditional style or pushing it forward, fusing it with other rhythms, it all benefits us as artists and helps sustain our music and culture.

Jack: Colombian music has seen a lot of remixing, and most of you have been down to visit the country in person. What is it that keeps drawing you back to this country and its music?

Geko Jones: Colombia is a musical hotbed. Its rhythms are as abundant as its biodiversity. Its people are as friendly as they are beautiful. Its habitats are radically different from one province to the next… Colombia is the kind of place that an artist could make a life’s work of studying.

Atropolis: It’s just so heavy, so rich, rhythmic, and powerful. Music is an abstract language, especially when it functions in an instrumental form. There is something about Colombian music that just speaks to me, moves me. The first time I heard it I was blown away, and I wanted to learn more about it, experience it, see it, feel it, work with it and learn it.

Chief Boima: I’m drawn to African diasporas, and Colombia, having the third largest Afro-diaspora population in the Americas, is an extremely important node in Black Atlantic culture. I just want to celebrate that and keep strengthening ties between places that you wouldn’t expect to be related. Maybe one day I’ll be able to bring rappers from Sierra Leone and Liberia to work with dancehall artists in Cartagena or San Andres, and vice versa. That would be a dream!

Captain Planet: I’ve still never been!!! Crazy, I know. That needs to change. One of my first records I ever made back in 2005 sampled Toto La Momposina. Powerful, soulful vocals with raw percussion is universally dope and will never go out of style. One of my first ever (and longest running) DJ gigs was a latin night in Brooklyn. When I was cutting my teeth as a DJ, everyone would request Colombian records. I got schooled week after week by Puerto Ricans and Dominicans who wanted to hear Latin Brothers and Fruko.

Thornato: It’s the music, the openness to collaborate with foreigners, and of course wonderful people and culture. When I hear something that speaks to me I want to learn more about its origins. That’s why I went to Colombia in the first place!

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