Colombia has never given its own music enough respect. Historically, the sounds of the coasts and the 60s-70s counter-culture were looked down upon by the elite, who preferred jazz, classical and more erudite styles, while institutional racism can’t be ignored either, as so much Afro-Colombian music has been, and still is, under-appreciated.
It’s this ‘inferior’ music that is now so loved by collectors, with danceable, tropical grooves at the heart of their affctions, as well as a small collective of rock bands that sprung up at the end of the 60s. Inspired by the British Invasion and US rock ’n’ roll, groups such as the Speakers, Los Flippers and Los Yetis emerged, playing covers of their favourite tunes before later writing their own originals. With primitive equipment, these records still have an irresistible raw power, enthusiasm and inventiveness. The work of all of these bands, as well as Los Ampex and Los Streaks, is highly collectible, but special mention must be made of The Speakers’ final album En el Maravilloso Mundo de Ingesón (1968), a work of Sgt.