Cumbia: The musical backbone of Latin America
Los Gaiteros De San Jacinto on the cover of its 2006 album Un Fuego de Sangre Pura. Jorge Mario Múnera/Courtesy of Smithsonian Folkways hide caption
Los Gaiteros De San Jacinto on the cover of its 2006 album Un Fuego de Sangre Pura.
Jorge Mario Múnera/Courtesy of Smithsonian FolkwaysCumbia is the backbone of music across Latin America — whether you're from Ushuaia or East Los Angeles, you've likely heard it blaring from a stereo. From our play friends at NPR's Alt.Latino, Jasmine Garsd and Felix Contreras talk about their common love of cumbia, despite their differences in origins, cultures, and generations.