Earthy cumbia accordionist Andrés Landero devoted his life to imitating the syncopated bird songs of Colombia's coastal region. Accompanied by bass, llamador drum and a scraped guacharaca, Landero improvised verses about village life among peasant farmers who were, like himself, a mixture of African and indigenous peoples. Trancelike in its lyrical simplicity and improvisatory spirit, Landero's seductive rhythmic style celebrated a deeply rooted but rapidly disappearing culture.
