Colombia's Colorful Musical History

Cheesy, corny, silly, romantic, sentimental or offensive - the Archivo de Bogotá has an exhibit going on right now about the history of Colombian music on LPs. (MP3s just don't create the same emotional and artistic bonds.)

This guy is remembered for having passed out for so long after partying that he was given up for dead. he survived, and wrote 'The Death of Abel Villa' about the experience. After  resurrection he wrote songs with titles like 'Recogete' and 'El Higueron.'

These young ladies are best remembered as the 'Hermanitas Singer' thanks for the ditties they sang to advertise sewing machines.

Born Yuri Bedoya in Buenaventura in 1968, he moved to Paris and paid for his studies by playing music. He changed his last name to Buenaventura and wrote songs like 'Banano de Urabá.'

I wonder whether Los Speakers ever heard of The Beatles, or The Monkeys?

Jose Maria Peñaranda died in 2006 at age 99. He was known as the greatest writer of the  cancion picante, penning perhaps 1,000 songs, including suggestive ones such as 'The Nail' and 'The Injection' and 'El Caiman,' many of which got censored. 

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours