Colombia

Cumbia is Colombia's foundational genre, born on the Caribbean coast from African, Indigenous, and Spanish roots, and it spread across all of Latin America. Today Colombia is also one of the world's leading producers of reggaetón, with Medellín artists like J Balvin and Karol G topping global charts. Vallenato, salsa, and champeta are also central to the country's identity.

Shakira, born in Barranquilla, is the best-selling Colombian artist in history, with tens of millions of records sold worldwide. She rose in the 1990s with Spanish-language rock-pop before crossing into the global mainstream with songs like 'Hips Don't Lie' and the 2010 World Cup anthem 'Waka Waka'.

Vallenato is a folk music from Colombia's Caribbean region built around the accordion, the caja drum, and the guacharaca scraper. Composers like Rafael Escalona turned local stories into song, and Diomedes Díaz became its most beloved voice. UNESCO added traditional vallenato to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2015.

Medellín became one of the global capitals of reggaetón in the 2010s, producing a generation of artists who took the genre worldwide. J Balvin, Karol G, Maluma, and Feid all emerged from the city, building an industry that helped make Spanish-language music dominant on global streaming charts.

Last reviewed: 2026-07

Champeta is an Afro-Colombian genre from Cartagena and the Caribbean coast, rooted in African diaspora rhythms and the region's picó sound-system culture. Long marginalized, it has influenced modern acts like Bomba Estéreo and Systema Solar and gained mainstream recognition in the 21st century.