Son del alma antigua

In Montes de María in Colombia, a mountain range in the Caribbean region, there’s an ancient musical tradition that can be traced back to pre-colonial times: the gaita— a wind instrument of indigenous origin. After Spanish colonization, the winds of the gaita joined the voices of the African drums carried by those who fled slavery and sought refuge and freedom in palenques in the mountains. Gaita tunes can be played in different airs or rhythms: cumbia, porro, gaita corrida, puya and merengue. In the past century, Toño Fernández was the first composer to create lyrics that accompany gaita pieces and the frontman of the legendary group Gaiteros de San Jacinto.