Cumbia is the popular dance form of Colombia with roots in Africa and influenced by Spanish and indigenous cultures, plus a big helping of Afro-Cuban sounds. While the accordion is the true hero of cumbia (and Cuban styled orchestras have been nearly as popular), it’s the gaita that represents the real roots of cumbia music. The cane flute called gaita, played by gaiteros, is most often used in pairs, the small hembra (female) and the larger macho (male) hypnotically weaving around each other.
Discos Curros was started in the early 1950s by Curro Fuentes, who, along with his brother, had created the monumental Fuentes label.