Colombia’s Caribbean shores are home to a dazzling musical universe, birthing salsa icon Joe Arroyo and evergreen pop sensation Shakira, and even influencing club culture through colorful soundsystems called picós. But the Caribbean is also a crossroads of language, food, fashion, and spirituality dialoguing with vibrant African heritage. Centuries old customs are remarkably preserved in communities such as San Basilio de Palenque, while Afro-futurist ensemble Kombilesa Mí have emerged as creative powerhouses balancing tradition and innovation. Premiering today (Aug. 1) on Remezcla, the group’s new music video for “Ariba Ma Prieto” unspools the breadth of the Afro-diasporic experience, celebrating the resilience of Black ancestors and siblings around the world, as well as the living wisdom carried through the ages.
In the Guillermo Camacho-directed clip, Kombilesa Mí pulls no punches, opening on a wide shot of the group traversing a river atop hand-carved longboats and suddenly cutting to drowned bodies floating in the water. It’s a harrowing history lesson reminding us of the extreme human cost of the colonial slave trade, while also underscoring Palenque’s legacy as the first freeman outpost in the Americas, founded in the early 1600s. But tragedy is soon followed by a moving eulogy of drums and chants. “Prieto ariba pa lande,” they sing, dressed in fuschia ceremonial robes and oscillating between bars in Spanish and the traditional Palenquero language, a unique patois also mixing Portuguese and West African Ki-Kongo dialects. As the video continues, shots of modern dancing, avant-garde fashions, and gravity-defying hairstyles showcase the forward movement of the culture, alchemizing memory into joyful, cinematic art.
“For the past 13 years, we’ve put our music at the service of the community,” says singer KR MP, breaking down the group’s multi-disciplinary body of work. “We think about strengthening our culture, our traditional music and Palenquero language, which could be lost if overly hybridized. We approach Kombilesa Mí as a ‘Kuagro,’ which is a group of people of the same age who grow up together and become family. We all come from artistic processes like music and dance, and meld African fashion with [Colombian] street style. The wardrobe for ‘Ariba Ma Prieto’ was created by Pelo Rucho, an artist from Cartagena with whom we’ve built a great friendship and worked on many of our productions.”
Kombilesa Mí’s community-minded art made a splash early on, melding playful raps, gospel vocals, and handmade drums on regional anthems like “Ma Kuagro” and “Los Peinados.” Their rising star led to collaborations with buzzy producers Busy Twist and Tavo DJ, and even an atmospheric performance during an activation between NPR’s Tiny Desk and globalFest. “Ariba Ma Prieto” is the latest teaser from their forthcoming third LP, Asina Gue, which rapper MC PM describes as, “Connected to our roots, revolution, and love, not only representing the sound of Palenque and the Colombian Caribbean, but committed to universal Black empowerment.”
San Basilio de Palenque is a Unesco World Heritage Site, and its wealth of music and history can be explored in depth through essential labels like Palenque Records. However, these cultural treasures are attracting growing waves of tourists and artists, raising concerns about how much of that attention and sourcing returns to the community in the form of profits or visibility.
“Visitors have become a problem,” warns Kombilesa Mí co-founder, Afroneto. “We’ve had situations where non-Palenqueros hijacked names of groups, songs, and stories, and the community gains nothing from that. Outsiders have tried to patent or register products historically elaborated in Palenque, and even some of the musicians who’ve come to the community to learn about our art have stolen bookings and travel opportunities. Tourism is the main source of income for many families in and around the community, but it also fosters inequality, like we’ve seen in Cartagena. So we’re going to continue protecting and celebrating Palenque as we work and make music into the future.”
Watch the premiere for the “Ariba Ma Prieto” music video below.