¡Ayombe! The Heart of Colombia's Música Vallenata / ¡Ayombe! The Heart of Colombia's Musica Vallenata

Colombian vallenato and Mexico’s norteño have some things in common: both styles originated in the northern regions of their respective countries, feature button accordion (along with some pretty wild electric bass playing), and are meant to be danced to. Both genres are syncretistic, but vallenato has elements that are rooted in Africa as well as European and indigenous components. The genre has four key instruments: accordion, bass, caja (a hand drum), and guacharaca (a percussive rasp), but other instruments are also incorporated. Vallenato comes in four forms: puya, merengue, son, and paseo. Puya is lightning fast and serves as an opportunity for players to show their stuff, as they do on “Pedazo de Acordeón” and “Puya,” a dazzling instrumental. The album opens with “A Blanco y Negro,” a nice paseo with the sort of romantic lyrics that are typical of the form. The album’s highlight comes in the form of the moving “Fidelina,” which was written by vallenato great Alejo Dúran, and is passionately played by a group that includes Dúran’s brother, Náfer, on accordion.