Colombian roots band Rebolú was formed by Ronald Polo and Morris Cañate, two Colombian musicians living in New York City. The two artists initially met as childhood friends in Barranquilla.
The lineup in 2022 included vocalists and multi-instrumentalists (and husband and wife) Ronald Polo and Johanna Castañeda, together with percussionists Morris Cañate (percussionist, tambor) and Erica “Kika” Parra (percussionist, drummer).
As Rebolú evolved, Castañeda and Parra were brought on to expand the band’s musical complexity. The group incorporates a wide spectrum of musical influences, including cumbia, rumba, funk, jazz, and other genres. Song topics range from the Colombian diaspora to family and parenting.
The songs are reflections on family, the passing down of traditions, and the idea of home – stories told through shared immigrant experiences expressed as songs of joy, sadness, love, desire, and celebration.
The band describes its sound: “Rebolú is a party! A wild, but not chaotic, party. A confluence of sound and energy reflecting the intensity of our urban life and the need to create music for the world based on our folklore and heritage.”
In 2022, Rebolú announced the release of an album titled Mi Herencia (My Heritage), May 13, 2022 on Smithsonian Folkways.
(headline image: Grupo Rebolu in 2021 – photo by Michael G. Stewart)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.