Cimarrón is a Colombian musical group of festive dance music joropo from the plains of the Orinoco River. This Grammy-nominated band[1] makes Latin music with Andalusian, Indigenous American native and African roots. Their music includes four-stringed cuatro, harp, maracas, and also Peruvian-flamenco cajón, Brazilian surdo, afro-Colombian tambora, a stomp dance as a percussion component and tribal indigenous whistles.

Cimarrón
OriginBogotá, Colombia
GenresJoropo, world music
Instrument(s)Harp, cuatro, maracas, bandola, surdo, bass, cajón de rumba
Years active2000–present
LabelsSmithsonian Folkways
Members
Websitewww.cimarroncolombia.com

History edit

Singer Ana Veydó and harpist Carlos "Cuco" Rojas founded Cimarón in Colombia. Rojas was part of a delegation of Colombian musicians that played for the Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez during the awarding of Nobel Prize in Literature 1982 in Stockholm, Sweden.[2]

Cimarrón started to promote their work in international folk and world music festivals such as Smithsonian Folklife Festival, WOMEX Festival, WOMAD, Lake Eden Arts Festival, Newport Folk Festival,[3] China National Center for the Performing Arts, Rainforest World Music Festival, Paléo Festival, Glatt & Verkehrt, Festival Músicas do Mundo, Festival Rio Loco, Festival Mawazine, Rajasthan International Folk Festival, Førde International Folk Music Festival, Sfinks Mixed, Flamenco Biennale Nederland, Lotus World Music & Arts Festival, National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, Utah Arts Festival, San Francisco International Arts Festival, Globalquerque, Festival International de Lousiane, Festival Nuit du Suds, Zomer van Antwerpen, Abu Dhabi Culture & Heritage, Festival México Centro Histórico and other stages across Europe, the United States, Asia, America and the Middle East.[4]

Their 2004 album, Sí soy llanero (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings),[5] was a Best Traditional World Music Album nominee in the 47th Annual Grammy Awards.[6][7] They were nominated for a Latin Grammy in 2019 for Best Folk Album with their release, Orinoco.

In 2007, Cimarrón worked on a live album with the Official Harpist to the Prince of Wales, Catrin Finch, and they also toured all over the United Kingdom.

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings also released Cimarrón's 2011 album, ¡Cimarrón! Joropo Music from the plains of Colombia[8]. In those years, Cimarrón presented their Orinoco performance. They were Best Latin Album winner in the 2012 Independent Music Awards[9] and a Best Traditional Music Show nominee in the 2014 Premios Lunas del Auditorio de Mexico.[10]

Cimarrón has performed in the United States, Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, England, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, Scotland, Croatia, Wales, Morocco, Arab Emirates, India, China, Japan, Malaysia, Rajasthan, Lebanon, Algeria, Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador, República Dominicana, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina, Chile y Uruguay.

Discography edit

Year Album Record label
2004 Sí, soy llanero Smithsonian Folkways
2007 Catrin Finch and Cimarron Live YN BYW Astar Artes Recordings
2011 ¡Cimarrón! Joropo music from the Plains of Colombia Smithsonian Folkways
2019 Orinoco Cimarrón Music

Awards and nominations edit

Year Work Award Nomination Result
2004 Sí, soy llanero Grammy Awards Best Traditional World Music Album Nominee
2012 ¡Cimarrón! Joropo music from the Plains of Colombia Independent Music Awards Best Latin Album Winner
2014 Orinoco Premios Luna del Auditorio de México Best Traditional Music Show Nominee
2019 Orinoco Latin Grammy Awards Best Folk Album Nominee
2019 Zumbajam Independent Music Awards Best Instrumental Song Winner
2020 Orinoco Songlines Music Awards Best Group Winner

Features edit

Cimarron have some guest appearances in other Colombian music records from artists such as Aterciopelados, Carlos Vives and Magín Díaz.

In 1996, the band was guest by Aterciopelados to play the harp and cuatro for their song La culpable, written by Andrea Echeverri and Héctor Buitrago, and included in the album La Pipa de la Paz. This album was Grammy nominated for Best Latin/Alternative Album.[11]

Cimarrón also played the music for the song Dios y el alma in children's album Pombo musical, produced in 2008 by Carlos Vives. This record, winner of the Latin Grammy for Best Children's Album, includes another guest appearances from Colombian artists such as Juanes, Cabas and Fonseca.

In 2017, Cimarrón performed a song with Colombian popular musician Magín Díaz on his album El Orisha de la Rosa, which was the winner of a Latin Grammy for Best Packaging Design.[12]

References edit

  1. ^ "El Grupo Cimarron". GRAMMY.com. May 14, 2017. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  2. ^ Gutiérrez, Norberto. "La música del Nobel García Márquez en antesala del Hay Festival 2018". www.informate.com.mx (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on March 10, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  3. ^ Abrams, Ken (July 30, 2019). "WhatsUp Interview: Cimarron at Newport Folk". What's Up Rhode Island. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  4. ^ "Arpa y joropo de exportación | ELESPECTADOR.COM". ELESPECTADOR.COM (in Spanish). May 25, 2008. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  5. ^ "Sí, soy llanero: Joropo Music from the Orinoco Plains of Colombia | Smithsonian Folkways". Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  6. ^ Tiempo, Casa Editorial El (February 11, 2005). "LOS GRAMMY, CON CINCO NOMINADOS COLOMBIANOS". El Tiempo (in Spanish). Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  7. ^ Tiempo, Casa Editorial El (December 14, 2004). "EL CANTO RECIO LLEGA AL GRAMMY". El Tiempo (in Spanish). Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  8. ^ "¡Cimarrón! Joropo Music from the Plains of Colombia | Smithsonian Folkways". Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  9. ^ "Cimarrón – Independent Music Awards". Independent Music Awards. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  10. ^ "Cimarrón nominado a "Lunas del Auditorio"" (in European Spanish). Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  11. ^ "Aterciopelados". GRAMMY.com. May 14, 2017. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  12. ^ "La Academia Latina de la Grabación sobre Magín Díaz". Latin GRAMMYs (in Spanish). Retrieved March 27, 2018.