Vallenato

Originating from the town of Valledupar in North-Eastern Colombia, Vallenato is one of the most popular types of folk music in the country.  Though it doesn’t have a specific dance style, its influence on Colombian artists is undeniable, meaning that it is often danced to. More traditional forms of Vallenato are almost like rhyming and riddled conversations between friends accompanied by a few instruments, including the accordion, whereas Carlos Vives, one of Colombia’s national treasures, has often been credited with bringing vallenato-inspired pop songs to the world.

Vallenato is also inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Heritage list in in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. Every April, the Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata, or the Festival of the Vallenato Legend takes place, which helped to bring Vallenato back to the forefront of Colombia’s music scene and is considered one of the country’s most important music festivals.

Carlos Vives introducing his accordionist during a concert