I thought to start with some must know singers:
Shakira
Is probably the most famous singer in Colombia.
She is more or less my same age; below is the first song I liked of her.
Her voice range is unique. She writes her own lyrics based on her own life experiences and is a complete artist not just a singer, dancer, choreographer, composer, philanthropist and a very open and friendly person.
Pies descalzos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCna-hsmGUY
Carlos Vivez
He is known for mixing Colombian traditional music styles and themes on his music
Cumbiana https://youtu.be/baUk9YcCxBQ
,esta es una cancion sobre la guerrilas en los ojos de una nina.
Dejame robarte un beso https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mtau4v6foHA
La bicicleta https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UV0QGLmYys
is a song to Barranquilla life in bike.
Juanes
romantic pop
Es por ti https://youtu.be/-9l5t3MWss8
Aterciopelados
She is an artist that wants to tell something to you in each song and has a unique approach on love&peace&family. Again she is an artist and a communicator, not just a singer. She always sings with her husband and sometimes her daughter too.
Bolero Falaz https://youtu.be/sUlsTs2ljaE
Soy yo https://youtu.be/efb1V14RWpE , she made this song for her little daughter
No se viola https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KEkhQ_Eq7M , she made this song with her daughter now ending teen age.
Fonseca
Eres Mi sueno https://youtu.be/00QVU7voMq8
sings pop, but includes traditional accordion & vallenato on his music
Maluma
He singer is a macho guy, his songs are very sensual and have lots of reggaetón
Sobrio https://youtu.be/RljdPIfnp0U
Alejo Duran
He was a classic vallenato singer; accordion and guacharaca
Alicia adorada https://youtu.be/CQKwMVJ8fEw
Binomio de Oro
Olvidala https://youtu.be/yry3rgGlRUw
Hety & Zambo
No weakness https://youtu.be/pGNJNqaiDN0
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Now we should go into types of music:
Cumbia
this rhythm has indigenous drums, African sensuality and Spanish featured dresses.
I was told it was first dance by someone that had a bad leg and as you can see always one leg is ahead leading and the other just lagging behind.
El pescador https://youtu.be/57Z7uoXzJ8w
Bullerengue
Is a cumbia story, so it is danced with dramatization gestures, only difference is the way to dance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2leZTIrua9Q
Porro
is an evolution to a ballroom cumbia, played with brass instruments and orchestra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWQozBVPcKA
African drums
yes today sometimes they have cumbia mixed; but African drums are a style on their own, see
Toto La momposina https://youtu.be/xObESuNVEgw
Mapale
Made by fisherman when coming back from work. The fish out of the water are the men, the sea are the woman.
Is a quite energetic and difficult dance.
https://youtu.be/mJg-IpblfXc
Carranga
Peasants dance.
it is the music from Boyaca, is another waltz like dance but you dance in it in little jumps
The instruments are guitars, tipple(12 strings guitar), requinto (smaller 6 string guitar), guacharaca (scraping a cane trunk) and voice,
https://youtu.be/V_OOcVcuMVw
La cucharita se me perdio https://youtu.be/aId1h7DMABg
Pasillo
Is an Austrian waltz for dancing, it came from europe after the independency but using typical instruments of the area, it sounds different: guitar, tiple, piano, cuchara, arpa, flute, requinto, bajo & accordion sometimes too.
Pasillo fiestero https://youtu.be/WqV_oT59_2Q
Bambuco
Is similar to a waltz made with just guitar & voice.
Sometimes is hard to differentiate from a Pasillo; but the Bambuco is a Colombian made rhythm.
Campesina santandereana https://youtu.be/zEMdEJwFUD8
Bunde
You may not believe but the Bunde initiated as a slaves funeral music for kids that died before having 7 years old. It is for them to go to heaven as they are still innocents souls they should just go at once.
It starts sad and slow and it turns out happy as the kid go to heaven.
Poniendote a gozar https://youtu.be/2Gyl_F5OJl0
Soca
Colombia has 2 caribean islands San Andres y Providencia were habitants got a mixed up language; they speak "patua" you may half understand the lyrics
https://youtu.be/c04jMqPaElQ
Salsa
Salsa is not from Colombia is from Cuba, but it has a big place, specially in Cali Medellin.
Bomba camara https://youtu.be/MtVTsesQLw4
Merengue
Merengue is neither from Colombia is from Puerto Rico, but again is has a big place everywhere because is very easy to dance; we say is like walking with rhythm, the next thing you learn after toddler walk.
Torta y arepa https://youtu.be/s1Pbl1-onEY
Joropo
Is music with harp from Los Llanos
And it is the first one that turned on my interest in Colombian folk.
Growing outside Colombia, when child I found Colombian folk music quite old fashion and none sense, until the day I saw my grandfather take my mum to dance a Joropo in a wedding with an audience of many people that thought like me.
He helped the bride's mum to start the party by doing it, and the party turned on with them.
I never saw my mum that way before, she cover the room side to side dancing with him. Opposite to what people believe most of these dances movements are only from waist down and mostly feet, and the top body is just to frame hold your partner but doesn't really move.
So being 5 years old I asked my grandfather to dance with me like with her and teach me a bit
https://youtu.be/uRP19qEfEQI
