Vallenato Overview:
From Colombia's northern coast, specifically from the Valledupar region, comes the genre known as vallenato. Emerging in the mid 20th century and with origins in traditional cumbia, vallenato has become one of country's most popular styles.
A traditional group contains button accordion (brought to northern Colombia in the early 1800s), caja (a small, single-membrane drum) and the guacharaca (a palm wood scraper). Vallenato is a musical genre that contains four styles: son, paseo (one of the most popular styles for dancing), merengue (similar but not related to its Dominican counterpart), and the puya (which is considered the most complex). The lyrics of the genre range from tributes to everyday occurrences, and was considered a "lower-class" art-form during its development in the mid 20th century. This humble music was discriminated against – as were its creators – until musicians began adapting vallenato into more modern ensembles during the 1950s and 60s. The term "vallenato" has to do with the geographic home of the genre, meaning "from the valley," as well as a more derogatory meaning. The story is that the genre was created by the river-based poor along the banks of the César River. A number of these citizens were afflicted with a mosquito-born disease that discolored their skin so that they looked like newborn whales called "ballenatos" (from the Spanish word "ballena" meaning whale).
In the 1990s, artists including Gloria Estefan and Carlos Vives helped to popularize the genre, introducing international audiences to the vibrant and generally happy form. Young Colombians began to accept a music their parents had previously shunned. Contemporary vallenato groups may be much larger, but its humble origins – and traditional ensembles – have recently become wildly popular among young generations in Colombia today.
– Rebeca Mauleon
