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Starting in the 16th century, enslaved West Africans were forcibly brought to the northwest coast of South America, to what is now the country of Colombia...»
Starting in the 16th century, enslaved West Africans were forcibly brought to the northwest coast of South America, to what is now the country of Colombia. While often overlooked in popular media, the influence of the peoples of African descent (Afro-Colombians) on Latin American culture and life is profound, and they have created numerous musical styles and cultural movements. Long before the Spanish arrived on these lands, Indigenous peoples lived and thrived there. Afro-Colombians lived with and often married Indigenous peoples, sharing music, food and language.
Rebolú’s music is a celebration of Afro-Colombian cultural expression, and their sound reflects the confluence of African, Indigenous and Spanish cultures. Those influences can be seen in the instruments they play, such as the cuarto (a four-stringed instrument derived from the Spanish guitar), the alegre (an African-derived drum), and perhaps most uniquely, the gaita. The gaita is a long flute made from a hollowed-out cactus stem with a feather quill held in place by charcoal-infused bee’s wax. The gaita is played by blowing air into the quill down into the long body of the instrument. The gaita’s origins are likely with the Kogi, an indigenous people who first inhabited and still remain on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. The gaita has been embraced by Colombians as a traditional instrument and is crucial to popular music styles such as cumbia.
Starting in the 16th century, enslaved West Africans were forcibly brought to the northwest coast of South America, to what is now the country of Colombia. While often overlooked in popular media, the influence of the peoples of African descent (Afro-Colombians) on Latin American culture and life is profound, and they have created numerous musical styles and cultural movements. Long before the Spanish arrived on these lands, Indigenous peoples lived and thrived there. Afro-Colombians lived with and often married Indigenous peoples, sharing music, food and language.
Rebolú’s music is a celebration of Afro-Colombian cultural expression, and their sound reflects the confluence of African, Indigenous and Spanish cultures. Those influences can be seen in the instruments they play, such as the cuarto (a four-stringed instrument derived from the Spanish guitar), the alegre (an African-derived drum), and perhaps most uniquely, the gaita. The gaita is a long flute made from a hollowed-out cactus stem with a feather quill held in place by charcoal-infused bee’s wax. The gaita is played by blowing air into the quill down into the long body of the instrument. The gaita’s origins are likely with the Kogi, an indigenous people who first inhabited and still remain on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. The gaita has been embraced by Colombians as a traditional instrument and is crucial to popular music styles such as cumbia.
Singer, composer, and gaitero (performer on the traditional gaita flute) Ronald Polo and percussionist Morris Cañate of Rebolú became friends as school children at a music school in the coastal Colombian city of Barranquilla...»
Singer, composer, and gaitero (performer on the traditional gaita flute) Ronald Polo and percussionist Morris Cañate of Rebolú became friends as school children at a music school in the coastal Colombian city of Barranquilla. Morris hails from a long line of celebrated master Afro-Colombian drummers and Ronald showed an early knack for composing music. When they were still in their teens, the pair toured the world as musicians in a traditional music and dance company. During this time, they would hone the skills that would define Rebolú as a singular band rooted in the Colombian Caribbean tradition. Ronald would become a master composer while Morris became a master percussionist.
The third core member of Rebolú, Johanna Castañeda was born into a family of Música Llanera musicians in Colombia. Sometimes referred to as Colombian cowboy music, this style was developed by ranchers and cattle herders in the flat plains region that cuts between Colombia and Venezuela. It is characterized by a greater emphasis on stringed instruments—especially the percussive harp and the small guitar-like cuatro. Johanna’s father is a master on the harp, her brother is an internationally recognized jazz harpist and she is a brilliant singer and cuatro player.
In 2008, Ronald and Morris moved to New York City and formed Rebolú. They met Johanna who soon became the third lead member of Rebolú adding a son joropo sound to the Afro-Colombian core brought by Ronald and Morris. She and Ronald have since married. As the years went by the group became more and more influenced by the global sounds of their new home city.
An interesting fact about Rebolú: The Disney movie Encanto, about an extraordinary family that lives hidden in the mountains of Colombia, features a musical score that uses the diverse sounds of traditional Colombian music to create the songs you likely know and love. The film scorers (people who wrote the music that goes along with the film) tapped Rebolú drummers Erica Parra and Moris Canate to provide the rhythmic base for many of these songs. These days, these drummers and Rebolú singer Ronald Polo regularly tour with a live music and film production of Encanto that might come to a performance space near you!
Singer, composer, and gaitero (performer on the traditional gaita flute) Ronald Polo and percussionist Morris Cañate of Rebolú became friends as school children at a music school in the coastal Colombian city of Barranquilla. Morris hails from a long line of celebrated master Afro-Colombian drummers and Ronald showed an early knack for composing music. When they were still in their teens, the pair toured the world as musicians in a traditional music and dance company. During this time, they would hone the skills that would define Rebolú as a singular band rooted in the Colombian Caribbean tradition. Ronald would become a master composer while Morris became a master percussionist.
The third core member of Rebolú, Johanna Castañeda was born into a family of Música Llanera musicians in Colombia. Sometimes referred to as Colombian cowboy music, this style was developed by ranchers and cattle herders in the flat plains region that cuts between Colombia and Venezuela. It is characterized by a greater emphasis on stringed instruments—especially the percussive harp and the small guitar-like cuatro. Johanna’s father is a master on the harp, her brother is an internationally recognized jazz harpist and she is a brilliant singer and cuatro player.
In 2008, Ronald and Morris moved to New York City and formed Rebolú. They met Johanna who soon became the third lead member of Rebolú adding a son joropo sound to the Afro-Colombian core brought by Ronald and Morris. She and Ronald have since married. As the years went by the group became more and more influenced by the global sounds of their new home city.
An interesting fact about Rebolú: The Disney movie Encanto, about an extraordinary family that lives hidden in the mountains of Colombia, features a musical score that uses the diverse sounds of traditional Colombian music to create the songs you likely know and love. The film scorers (people who wrote the music that goes along with the film) tapped Rebolú drummers Erica Parra and Moris Canate to provide the rhythmic base for many of these songs. These days, these drummers and Rebolú singer Ronald Polo regularly tour with a live music and film production of Encanto that might come to a performance space near you!
Ronald and Morris are both from Barranquilla, a large city on the Caribbean coast of Colombia with a world-famous Carnival celebration...»
Ronald and Morris are both from Barranquilla, a large city on the Caribbean coast of Colombia with a world-famous Carnival celebration. Morris’ musical family has roots in Palenque de San Basilio, the first town in the Americas to be founded by runaway enslaved peoples, and a focal point for Afro-Colombian culture. Johanna is from Bogotá, the capital and economic hub of Colombia. Historically, many Colombians who immigrated to the US have made New York City their home, particularly in the Jackson Heights area in the borough of Queens. Rebolú is dedicated to celebrating the musical traditions of their native country and providing Colombians in New York City with strong connections to home. The group is also dedicated to forging their own path as artists, driven by Ronald’s innovative compositions and their use of modern instruments.
Ronald and Morris are both from Barranquilla, a large city on the Caribbean coast of Colombia with a world-famous Carnival celebration. Morris’ musical family has roots in Palenque de San Basilio, the first town in the Americas to be founded by runaway enslaved peoples, and a focal point for Afro-Colombian culture. Johanna is from Bogotá, the capital and economic hub of Colombia. Historically, many Colombians who immigrated to the US have made New York City their home, particularly in the Jackson Heights area in the borough of Queens. Rebolú is dedicated to celebrating the musical traditions of their native country and providing Colombians in New York City with strong connections to home. The group is also dedicated to forging their own path as artists, driven by Ronald’s innovative compositions and their use of modern instruments.
After viewing Rebolú’s video, before showing it to your class...»
After viewing Rebolú’s video, before showing it to your class:
After viewing Rebolú’s video, before showing it to your class:
Students watch the accompanying video about Rebolú.
In a small group of 2-4 classmates, share your answers to these questions:
In groups of 2 or 3, write down 3 questions you want to ask the members of Rebolú when you meet them.
Johanna of Rebolú talks about how Colombians created a “Little Colombia” between 79th street and 84th street in Jackson Heights, Queens because it makes Colombian’s “feel like home.” Home is not just a place, but all the things that give the feeling of comfort, safety and love.
Explore the following questions as you think about your life, home, and community:
Write a thank you card to Rebolú—be sure to include something personal about yourself and how it connects to them and their music.
Have a family member or care-taker create their own “list of home.”
Once they have taken the time to write down the things that they feel make up home to them, compare your list to theirs. What is shared? What is unique?
Using a camera phone, make a video of you reading off the items that overlapped. Send the video to your teacher who can create a larger video of the greater class community ideas of home.
Students watch the accompanying video about Rebolú.
In a small group of 2-4 classmates, share your answers to these questions:
In groups of 2 or 3, write down 3 questions you want to ask the members of Rebolú when you meet them.
Johanna of Rebolú talks about how Colombians created a “Little Colombia” between 79th street and 84th street in Jackson Heights, Queens because it makes Colombian’s “feel like home.” Home is not just a place, but all the things that give the feeling of comfort, safety and love.
Explore the following questions as you think about your life, home, and community:
Write a thank you card to Rebolú—be sure to include something personal about yourself and how it connects to them and their music.
Have a family member or caretaker create their own “list of home.”
Once they have taken the time to write down the things that they feel make up home to them, compare your list to theirs. What is shared? What is unique?
Using a camera phone, make a video of you reading off the items that overlapped. Send the video to your teacher who can create a larger video of the greater class community ideas of home.
Describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described.
Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
Introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group related information logically; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Review the key ideas expressed and draw conclusions in light of information and knowledge gained from the discussions.
Compare and contrast the experience of reading a story, drama, or poem to listening to or viewing an audio, video, or live version of the text, including contrasting what they “see” and “hear” when reading the text to what they perceive when they listen or watch.
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings.
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Review the key ideas expressed and demonstrate understanding of multiple perspectives through reflection and paraphrasing.
Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.
Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify information.
We're constantly adding new artists and features to the program. Sign up for our newsletter and you'll be the first to know!