Though anthropologists still debate the exact origins of cumbia, the music genre has deep roots in the African, European and indigenous communities that spread throughout Latin America. The genre features percussion instruments like the merry and calling drums familiar to African culture, blending bass with the sounds of Millo flutes and other wind instruments, all mixed with interpreted traditional European music, dance and costume styles. Today, strains of cumbia can be heard trickling into modern genres ranging from Afrobeat to rock and pop. Hosted by musician Kiko Villamizar and elders straight from Colombia, the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center’s Cumbia Roots Festival combines workshops and performances showcasing such renowned acts as Paito y los Gaiteros de Punta Brava and Grupo Trapiche de Colomboy. $15-$25, 3pm Sun, Jun. 18, Guadalupe Theater, 1301 Guadalupe St., (210) 271-3151, guadalupeculturalarts.org.
The Guadalupe Sheds Light on an Influential Genre with Sunday's Cumbia Roots Festival
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