Mi Herencia

New York City has been tapping into Colombian music fever for several years now, what with festivals such as Encuentro celebrating renowned and emerging Colombian New York-based artists, and showcasing the Latin American country’s abundance of rhythms and styles, and the artists breathing new life into these traditions. At its (Afro-Colombian) vanguard are Rebolu, a long-established ensemble comprised of vocalists and multi-instrumentalists (and husband and wife) Ronald Polo and Johanna Castañeda, along with drummer Erica Parra and the revered percussionist and tambor player Morris Cañate.

Respectful of their ancestral precedents, the group has continued to develop its upbeat, good time blend of everything from cumbia, rumba and rap to funk, folk and jazz, delivering songs with a social conscience and cultural pride at their core. Album opener ‘Los Herederos (The Heirs)’, which tackles the cultural inheritance of the children of immigrants, is a case in point; the following nine original Spanish-language songs variously cover the Colombian diaspora and the Black Lives Matter movement in ways both vibrant and thought-provoking. Polo’s voice sounds as pure as his gaita (flute), and there’s a horn happy party vibe to tunes such as ‘Con Este Fandango’ that defy you not to dance. Quality stuff.