Sounds and colours presents: Colombia
This summer Sounds and Colours - a UK-based South American music and culture website - is launching it's first ever print edition, focusing on the music and culture of Colombia.
Keen to banish existing stereotypes, this collectable book and accompanying CD takes a fresh look at the country’s music and culture, with articles on established genres like cumbia and vallenato, as well as lesser-known folk rhythms and traditions. It also delves into the current music scene and the ways in which Colombian music has influenced artists worldwide.
There will also be features on Colombian cinema, Circo Para Todos, indigenous culture, alternative tourist destinations, Barranquilla Carnival, and lots more. See 'The Contents' below for full details. We've been working on this content all year, doing research into some of the most interesting cultural aspects of Colombia, as well as speaking to collaborators and writers to work on the content, with the aim of bringing you something unique and insightful.
Sounds and Colours Presents Colombia will be:
a thoroughly-researched, passionately-written 208-page book/magazine looking at the music, film, arts and culture of Colombia,
a valuable resource for anyone interested in Colombia and its culture,
a reflection on both alternative and popular culture from the country,
a multimedia publication incorporating articles, photographs and illustrations in the print publication, as well as online platforms featuring exclusive music and resources.
Colombia is the perfect starting point for what we hope to be a series of Sounds and Colours Print Editions. It's a country that seems condemned to sterotypes, yet if you've been to Colombia you'll know that it is one of the friendliest and most beautiful countries in the world. And - importantly for us - it is a country full of culture.
Quite simply we are aiming to make enough money to print 1,000 copies of the book, all of which will come with an accompanying CD of new Colombian music produced by our good friends at Movimientos (listen to their Colombia radio special here. This accounts for $4,000 of our funding goal. The remaining $500 will go towards paying a number of Colombian artists and illustrators for their artwork.
a huge published "thank you!" inside the book from ourselves,
the 208-page (234mm x 156mm) book,
a CD or download of new Colombian music (depending on which option you choose),
the higher-end perk includes a tote bag with specially-commissioned artwork from a Colombian artist (artwork TBC)
[And please don't be put off by the fact this campaign is in dollars. Indiegogo was the best website we found for what we needed, but only allows for campaigns in dollars. We want this product to be international, with people all over the world able to discover the best of Colombian music and culture]
These articles will all feature in the magazine and will be written by our dedicated writing team:
Cumbia, Cumbia, Cumbia! - in-depth look at cumbia, starting with Sonora Dinamita (the group that internationalised the style) and onto the present day. Will include an interview with Toto La Momposina as well info on transplanted styles such as Peruvian cumbia, cumbia sonidera and cumbia villera.
The African Influence on Colombia’s Atlantic Coast - feat. interviews with Lucas Silva and Sidney Reyes, photos by Miriam Wirz of Barranquilla’s Picó soundsystems and mixtape of champeta music
Guide to Colombian Cinema - looking at new Colombian features and classic cinema. Also including an interview with Ciro Guerra about his film Los Viajes del Viento
Barranquilla Carnival - history of 2nd biggest carnival in the world, with photos, 1st person account of festival, and descriptions of all the characters (i.e., Joselito, the Marimondos and Monocucos)
Ondatrópica and the Resurgence of Tropical Music - article on this new Colombian all-star project from Quantic and Frente Cumbiero w/ photos by B+ taken inside Discos Fuentes studio
Juanchito and the Boom of Salsa Caleña - a look at Colombian salsa and its birth in Cali
Circo Para Todos: The Social Power of Circus - article on Circo Para Todos and their work with Colombia’s disadvantaged children, as well as their professional touring group Circolombia
The Power of Yage (William Burroughs in Colombia) - a short piece on yage (ayahuasca), focusing on William Burroughs experience of taking yage in the Putumayo
Música Pacifica Special feat. interviews with Hugo Candelario, Herencia de Timbiqui and Ancestros, as well as feature on Festival Petronio Alvarez and mixtape of music from Colombia’s Pacific Coast
Santiago Garcia, The Master a biography of the recently awarded (2012) UNESCO World Theatre Ambassador Santiago Garcia – el maestro – the man behind the renowned Teatro La Candelaria collective. He is only the second person to be awarded the prize in Latin American, after Augusto Boal.
Uniting Indigenous and Modern Culture - article on the indigenous cultures of Colombia as well as ways in which their music has influenced modern musicians such as Teto Ocampo and Hector Buitrago
The Train Of Fire and Ice: Mano Negra in Colombia - account of Manu Chao’s trip by train through Colombia
Carlos Vives and La Provincia - Turning Vallenato Into A Commercial Sensation
Alternative Tourist Destinations: Punta Gallinas (Guajira), Nevado del Cocuy, Cano Cristales (Serranía la Macarena)
Plus, there'll be original artwork from Colombia!!!
Specially-commissioned cover collage by Colombian artist Javier Piraguata
Illustrations from Colombian comic book artist Power Paola
Additional illustrations and original artwork from Colombian artists
Our good friends Movimientos - one of London's finest Latin music promoters and a record label to boot - have agreed to produce a CD of new Colombian music, which will accompany each copy of the book.
For a taste of what to expect from the CD check out this Colombia Special on Moviemientos' SOAS radio show http://soasradio.org/content/movimientos-nuevo-colombia
Over the past two years Sounds and Colours has earned a reputation as a worldwide champion of South American culture, with regular readers across Europe, North America, South America and Asia. We've always been committed to finding the most interesting stories and artists, and are at our happiest when unearthing a hidden gem. It's the same approach we are bringing to this edition.
When you buy a copy of Sounds and Colours in print, you help to cover the cost of printing a first edition book. This is a big undertaking. You are also supporting the writers in showcasing their talent, the independent Colombian artists with their artwork, and the creation of a wider audience for Colombian culture. Not to mention the fact that you will get book of passionately-written, well-researched book that you will want to keep for years.
Sounds and Colours is a South American music and culture magazine. Up to now we've always been purely online, with this being our first venture into the physical world!
Our aim has always been to raise awareness of the amazing and diverse cultures of South America, promoting independent artists, groups and movements that rarely get the attention they deserve. This is something which we will continue doing in Sounds and Colours Presents Colombia.
Why Are We Using Indiegogo?
We have been planning this book for some time now, and could never quite work out how to make it happen. Trying to get advertisers takes a lot of time and diverts our energies away from actually writing about the things we love. It also creates situations where we have to feature certain content to please our sponsors.
By raising the funds through Crowdfunding it really feels like we are able to keep our DIY aesthetic, and will allow us to make the book that we want to make, and that you all will want to read.
The breakdown of the costs are quite simple. Here they are:
Cost of printing 1,000 books: $3,000
Cost of producing 1,000 CDs: $1,000
Payment for Commisioned Artwork & Articles: $500
As well as the articles mentioned above, we are also planning on featuring some of the following ideas:
5 Colombian Bands To Watch Out For
Agua Para Todos / Canto Para Agua: Colombia’s Campaigns for Clean Water
Colombian Music in New York (feat. interviews with Uproot Andy, Geko Jones and Cumbamela)
How Cumbia Beats Changed the Global Beats Scene (w/ new cumbia mixtape)
Fernando Botero - He Likes Big Butts
The Unique Sounds of San Andres Island
Information on Colombia’s other traditional rhythms, i.e. Bambuco, música carranguera, música llanera
Exploring The Putumayo: Colombia’s Forgotten Frontier
Feature on Medellin’s burgeoning Hip-Hop Scene
Article and/or mixtape highlighting 60s/70s rock ‘n’ roll from Barranquilla and Cartagena
Pablo Escobar as Tourist Attraction
Gabriel Garcia Marquez Reader
More info: soundsandcolours.com
See our Colombia section to get a taste of what the book will feature