PALENQUE RECORDS

PIONEERS OF AFRO-COLOMBIAN MUSIC

LOS PIONEROS DE LA MÚSICA AFROCOLOMBIANA

Palenque Records es un sello disquero independiente, con sede en Colombia y Francia. Fue creado en 1997 por Lucas Silva, en Paris - capital virtual de Africa, y desde entonces se dedica a la producción de films y discos sobre la música tradicional afro-colombiana. En 1997, lanzamos el documental "Los Reyes Criollos de la Champeta" (La Huit Production, Paris 1998). Este fue el primer documental que dió a conocer la Champeta Criolla como fenómeno musical en el extranjero, e incluso en Colombia. Desde entonces, no hemos parado de trabajar en esta dirección.

En el año 2000, Lucas Silva realiza "Los Hijos de Benkos" (Les Films du Village-Rfo-Mezzo). Esta película es un homenaje al desaparecido percusionista Paulino Salgado "Batata", y a otros músicos celebres de San Basilio de Palenque. Durante el rodaje, trabajamos y grabamos con todos los grupos musicales de Palenque, entre ellos "Las Alegres Ambulancias" y el "Sexteto Tabalá".

En 1998, lanzamos al mercado nuestra primera producción: "Champeta Criolla, New African Music From Colombia" (Palenque Records-Night&Day). Era la primera vez que la Champeta salía de los barrios marginales de Cartagena, para acceder a un público internacional. La acogida fue excelente. Luego publicamos dos discos sobre la música tradicional de Palenque, y en particular el grupo Sexteto Tabalá: Sexteto Tabalá (Ocora - Harmonia Mundi); y "Sexteto Tabalá: Reyes del Son Afro-Colombiano" (Buda Records-Universal). Son grabaciones que dieron por primera vez a conocer el género del Son Palenquero, mezcla de Son Cubano con Cumbia y Bullerengue. Estos discos fueron grabados in situ, con la ayuda de un estudio mobil.

En 2002, sale al mercado una segunda compilación: Champeta Criolla Vol 2, Visionary Black Music from Underground Colombiáfrica (Palenque Records - Night& Day).

Durante cuatro años, trabajamos en la producción del primero y ultimo trabajo discográfico de Paulino Salgado "Batata", la leyenda del tambor afro-colombiano, que murió recientemente en Bogota. El disco "Batata y su Rumba Palenquera – Radio Bakongo” fue publicado en Abril del año 2003, por el sello alemán Network. La revista inglesa Song Lines lo puso entre los 50 mejores discos de música del mundo de todos los tiempos.

En Febrero 2004, lanzamos dos nuevas producciones: « Las Alegres Ambulancias - Música Funeraria de Palenque » (Buda Records / Universal) y el disco "Palenque San Basilio" (Ocora- Harmonia Mundi). Tenemos muchos proyectos, pero siendo pioneros en nuestra actividad hemos tenido que pasar por muchas dificultades. Sin embargo, consideramos que hemos abierto un espacio en Europa y que las posibilidades para el futuro son excelentes.

Nuestra misión es la de salvaguardar el patrimonio cultural afro-colombiano, y transmitirlo a las generaciones futuras. Los mejores músicos de nuestra tierra se encuentran en el olvido; es de vital importancia que su arte quede plasmado en una producción discográfica, pues estos ritmos y expresiones folclóricas son lo más valioso que tiene nuestra tierra.

En Enero del 2006, lanzamos un nuevo disco: “Colombia: Batata, el Legado del Palenque”, el 1er disco de la agrupación “Las Alegres Ambulancias”, en más de 80 años de existencia de este grupo ancestral, que nunca termina y se renueva con cada generación, para cantar en los velorios del pueblo.

Hoy en dia, Palenque Records es un equipo que trabaja infatigablemente por dar a descubrir lo nuevo y mas inedito de Afro-colombia y Africa. En el ano 2010 lanzamos conjuntamente con SOUNDWAY RECORDS el compilado PALENQUE PALENQUE, Champeta Criolla and Afro-Roots from Colombia, otro batazo mundial, con temas de antologia de la musica psicodélica afro-colombiana.

Nuestro equipo es :
Lucas Silva - Producción musical y realización audiovisual
Najle Silva: Jefe de proyectos , Diseño Gráfico y fotografía

Diego Lenis: Web Master

Andres Aceves (Dj Mixticius) : asesoria , diseños y más: www.mixticius.net

Saludando a nuestra gran inspiración el maestro SIR WARRIOR - y el gran Prince Adekunle en Nigeria

Para mas información sobre Palenque Records:

www.myspace.com/palenquerecords

www.myspace.com/sonpalenqueafrocolombia

www.myspace.com/alegresambulanciasdepalenque

PALENQUE RECORDS is a label specialized in Afro-Colombian music, founded in 1998 in Paris France, by Lucas Silva Dj Champeta-Man. Since then, we have released many records and we have changed the face of afro-colombian music, with a fusion of modern and traditional sounds. Our releases go from the very traditional genres of music, until the most modern and afro -electro beats, covering all ranges of black colombian music.

In 1996, Lucas Silva realeased the movie "THE CREOLES KINGS Of THE CHAMPETA" (30') in the town of Cartagena, in the Colombian Caribbean coast. This film was about the new tendencies of afro-Colombian music, with special focus on Champeta Criolla Style.Filming this documentary, hi could discover the richness of an afro-Colombian marginalized music, completely unknown from Colombia and the Andes and from the rest of the world.
Hi decided thus to create the Palenque Records label (called like this in homage to the village of San Basilio de Palenque), with the objective of making known the size of popular afro-Colombian music, which struggles in the poverty of everyday, and in the indifference of the media, too busy with other products "more commercial". Our first musical production was the Cd "CHAMPETA CRIOLLA, NEW AFRICAN MUSIC FROM COLOMBIA" (Palenque Records - Night & Day), published in October 98. It was the first time that this music was released abroad, and this compilation revealed to the world this unexpected musical movement.
In 1999 we published two new albums : "Champeta Criolla Vol 2 : Visionary Black Music from Underground Colombiafrica (Palenque Records - Night & Day), then "Sexteto Tabalá: Kings of Son Palenquero" (Buda records - Universal). Each album is the result of a long work of musical production and investigation, and is accompanied by a booklet written by myself, in which I give an account of all the investigations and the field work that I carried out, the whole presented in a modern, narrative and personal way.

The disc "Batata & his Rumba Palenquera - Radio Bakongo", was launched by the German label Network in April 2003. It was very well accepted by critics in Europe and in the United States. It was classified among the 50 best discs of World Music of all times by the English Review Song Lines, and one of the best discs of the year by the American review Latin Beat.

Unfortunately, in January 2004, Paulino Salgado died in Bogota, at 78 years old. "Radio Bakongo" is his only disc in solo, and it will remain for the generations to come like the musical testament from an exceptional artist.
In 2007, we released a new album, COLOMBIAFRICA THE MYSTIC ORCHESTRA, together with WORLD MUSIC NETWORK label(UK). Until today I thus realeased 11 discs of afro-Colombian music. Many magazines and other media of Europe, United States and Colombia, made heard about this musical work, with very positive critics.

The afro-Colombian culture is a cultural exception. Musicians and popular artists of my country are genius creators, but a few believe in them. For this reason it is advisable to impel a musical movement around their talent, to support and create an artistic movement of independent compositors who can build this future.
Our latets Releases are : PALENQUE PALENQUE (SOUNDWAY -PALENQUE RECORDS) , SEXTETO TABALA "CON UN SOLO PIE", FARAON BANTU VYNIL, together with CHUSMA RECORDS - GERMANY..and many more to come
Waite for more news over here , and lots of NEW RELEASES TO COME!!
ROOTS, VOODOOO & EMANCIPATION

viernes, 9 de marzo de 2012

Son Palenque is a legendary afro-Colombian band, founded in the beginning of the 80’s in the city of Cartagena (Caribbean coast), by the singer and composer Justo Valdez. Since then, this 7th people band has recorded 8 LP's of traditional Afro music, mixed with African and psychedelic influences. All their members come from San Basilio de Palenque, a very important village in the history of afro-Colombia. Palenque de San Basilio was founded by black maroons (running away from slavery), and has preserved many African traditions, as an Afro-Hispanic Creole language, the only one existing today in the Americas. The musical traditions of Palenque are very close to the music of central Africa, and the Bantu area (Congo, Angola, Cameroon). The music of SON PALENQUE has been reissued in the last years in Europe, in many compilations of Colombian and tropical music, as their music is very much appreciated by collectors and music lovers around the world. ( see the compilation “Palenque Palenque”, on Soundway label) The band plays rhythm as cumbia, chalupa, Bullerengue, lumbalu (played for funerals and other rituals), Son de Negro, and a huge variety of african rythms. The band concerts are like a journey through the history of afro-colombian music and culture, and the history of all the musical exchanges between Africa and America, during centuries of colonial history. Justo Valdez, lead vocal and composer, comes from a prestigious musical dynasty. He’s the son of “Ataole”, one of the best tambour players from Palenque, and was also part of the Batata family, the Valdez Salgado. The band recorded their first single in 1982 for the record label Orbe and were considered pioneers since most of their songs were sung in Palenquero. Ataole died, but the group continued and recorded two LPs for Felito where they incorporated percussion from Palenque with influences from Africa, the French Caribbean and soukous from Congo. Here we find three songs “El Sapo,” and “Palenque Palenque” (with Michi Sarmiento on Sax!!) recorded by Eduardo Dávila, and “Dame un Trago”. These two LPs opened a new path for Afro-Colombian music that the group has continued to explore until today. This is the latest project of Palenque Records (label that gave an international scope to the Creole Champeta at Tabalá Sextet at The Jolly Ambulances, and produced the posthumous album Paulino Salgado "Batata"), whose goal is to promote knowledge and transmission of the popular traditions of Afro-Colombia in Europe. The new album of SON PALENQUE would be released in 2011 by Palenque Records.

Kan'nida + Son Palenque // La Ferme du Buisson // por festivalidf

lunes, 6 de febrero de 2012

Paulino Salgado "BATATA"

El Faraón Bantú y El Monosónico en Llorona Records

"Faraon Bantú - Picó Mystico" Palenque Records en Llorona Records from Llorona Records on Vimeo.

domingo, 5 de febrero de 2012

"THE CREOLE KINGS OF CHAMPETA"

LA HUIT PRODUCTION - PALENQUE RECORDS-CUMBE RECORDS PRESENT :

"THE CREOLE KINGS OF CHAMPETA"

A 30'DOCUMENTARY REALISED BY :

LUCAS SILVA AND SERGIO ARRIA ( COLOMBIA-FRANCE-VENEZUELA 1997 )

Image: Lucas SILVA / Sound : Sergio ARRIA

Editing: Lucas SILVA, Sergio ARRIA, Frederick BERAUD, Thomas LANZA, Patrick DIDIER.

Artistic Council : Marion PROVANSAL

Mixing : Jean-Marc SCHICK

A PRODUCTION BY PALENQUE RECORDS (COLOMBIE) - CUMBE RECORDS (VENEZUELA) - LA HUIT PRODUCTION (FRANCE).

With the participation of : SOCIEDAD DRAMATICA de MARACAIBO (Venezuela), CORPORACION del NUEVO CINE LATINOAMERICANO (Colombia), DEFI-JEUNES HAUTS DE SEINE (France), Association "QUE PASA" (Colombia), FONDATION CINEMA DOCUMENTAIRE (Colombia), CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA CINEMATOGRAPHIE CNC (FRANCE).

FEATURING : JUSTO VALDEZ & SON PALENQUE - EL SEXTETO TABALA - SHAKA EL TERRIBLE - ALVARO EL BARBARO - KASSIVA & THE BLACK POWER - MELCHOR "EL CRUEL"- MONSIEUR BOOGALOO - CHAWALA - LUIS TOWERS - ANNE SWING - KUSSIMA SOUKOUS CREOLE BAND - CANDIDO DOCTOR DE LA TERAPIA - TOMAS "FAMI VALDEZ - PEPE KALLE & EMPIRE BAKUBA (CONGO)- THE KING ELIO BOOM - COCO-BOOM & AND MANY MORE....

SYNOPSIS :

This documentary tells the story of the CHAMPETA or CREOLE TERAPIA, one of the most innovative, ignored and marginalized musical kinds of Colombia and perhaps of Latin America. This musical movement, which mixes African rhythms like Soukouss from Congo (ex-Zaire), Mbaqanga from South Africa and Highlife from Ghana-Nigeria, with rhythms of the French and English Speaking West Indies (Haïtian "Compass ", Socca, Calypso, and Reggae), runs as a Master on dancers 'feet all along the Colombian Atlantic Coast, from Turbo to Riohacha. Born in the black districts from Carthagena at the end of the Seventies, and in villages like Palenque de San Basilio, this Afro-Colombian rhythm, made popular by some fish salesmen, shoeshiners and self-educated musicians of popular origin, is going to extent and to conquer all the country thanks to its West-Indian and Colombian rhythms. The documentary is a portrait of CHAMPETA's most famous artists and discjockeys, as well as the story of the birth of this music, which looks like the one of Reggae and Rap in Jamaica and in the United States. One of its goals is to make known the talent of these artists, humble people who built alone and without any help all the necessary structure for the production and the distribution of this music: independent labels, recording studios, disc stores... and a public which shows its support at every new production. African rhythms of the whole world, mixed with the rhythms of our Colombian Caraibes, meet in Carthagena to mix with the new vacile efectivo of Creole Terapia.

Original Soudtrack of the movie available in two CD's :

- "COLOMBIA : THE SEXTETO TABALA" - OCORA - RADIO FRANCE.

REF : C 560126

Distribution : HARMONIA MUNDI (FRANCE)

- "CHAMPETA CRIOLLA : NEW AFRICAN MUSIC FROM COLOMBIA" PALENQUE RECORDS. REF : PAL 1086

Distribution Europe : NIGHT&DAY