[youtube id=”hT0ir-rwRPY”] Gabriel Garzón-Montano spends a day in San Basilio de Palenque, Columbia with the band Kombilesa Mi and people from the community. Garzón-Montano reconnected to the country after leaving at age 10 through a childhood friend. He also wanted to be in Palenque for its musical heritage:
“First I’d like to thank our friend Guillermo Camacho for taking us to Palenque and introducing us to our new friends from the band Kombilesa Mi. Palenque is a magical place – people blasting music and playing drums and singing everywhere – expressing more joy than I’ve seen or felt in my whole life. Bombo Fabrika is about the place I go to when I write music. The music is not mine, it flows through me from a source much older and wiser than my body. Palenque is famous for originating some styles of Cumbia music which I’ve been greatly influenced by. Filming this video in such an energetically potent musical birthplace was an incredible and humbling experience. Creating a bridge between Colombians living in NYC and Colombians living in Palenque was beautiful.â€
Garzón-Montano is currently touring his Jardin debut.
