Champeta

Champeta grew out of the Afro‑Colombian picó scene in Cartagena and Barranquilla, where massive sound systems played imported African and Caribbean records. Local DJs and musicians began recreating the electrifying guitar music of Congolese soukous and rumba—especially the fast, cascading sebene sections—blending it with coastal percussion and street party chants. The sound was initially known as “terapia” (therapy), signaling its role as musical release for working‑class neighborhoods.

By the 1990s, champeta crystallized as a scene with its own stars, dances, and aesthetics. While stigmatized by some media as marginal, it became a strong expression of Black coastal identity. Picós like El Rey de Rocha and El Timbalero helped break new singles, and artists such as Charles King, Elio Boom, and Anne Swing (Viviano Torres) defined a local canon with guitar‑driven hits and chantable hooks.

A new wave dubbed “champeta urbana” fused the guitar tradition with 808s, synthetic bass, and club production, paving the way for national hits and collaborations. Artists like Mr. Black, Kevin Flórez, and Twister El Rey pushed the style beyond the coast, while bands such as Bazurto All Stars brought a live, festival‑ready sound. The genre’s rhythmic vocabulary seeped into Colombian pop and urbano, and champeta dance routines gained global visibility through viral performances and stage shows, all while the picó culture remains the scene’s beating heart.