Medellín

Medellín is the second most populous city in Colombia after Bogota. Its three million inhabitants, known as ‘Paisas’, enjoy some pretty exceptional geography – the city is located in a valley in the Andes mountains.

Made infamous by Pablo Escobar, who made it the headquarters of his cartel from the 1970s until the early 1990s, Medellín has been the scene of a great deal of violence, leaving the city with some deep scars. Both its painful past and the city’s rich cultural mix have left their mark on Medellín’s music.

The city is home to the legendary label Discos Fuentes, which has been disseminating music such as cumbia, salsa, and merengue in Colombia since the 1930s. It’s no surprise therefore that the ‘Paisas’ have a deep infatuation with these tropical rhythms.

Medellín has given birth to major players in reggaeton such as Karol G, J Balvin and Maluma. Their music deals with light-hearted subjects, often linked to the heart, as if to exorcise the violence they’ve experienced.

Such pioneers have paved the way for younger talents like Ryan Castro and Blessd. Blessd is currently enjoying tremendous success with his song “Medallo”. It has entered the inner circle of Spotify’s Global Top 50 and become a worldwide hit. Billboard has selected Blessd as one of its 2022 artists to listen to. Ryan Castro, with whom Blessd regularly collaborates such as on the tracks “Niña De Mis Sueños” and “Monastery”, is also climbing the charts. On “Wasa Wasa” he displays the extent of his talents with a powerful dancehall flow and an instrumental that makes you want to get up and dance. 

Sebastián Yatra, with the song “Regresé”, experiments with mixing genres by inviting Puerto Rican reggaeton star Justin Quiles and Argentine cumbia singer L-Gante for a romantic result that will get you moving.

Following his recent setback with the track “Perra”, J Balvin returns to a much softer mode on the track “Instinto” onto which he invites rising star Yendry. Hand in hand they take the listener to a place where sensuality and tenderness create a great mix.