Colombia Reports

Medellín is not the salsa capital of Colombia, because that's Cali. Medellín is more into vallenato, porro and musica ranchera. But don't be fooled to think Medellín has no salsa culture, because it's wrong. Medellín has a rich history of salsa and is keeping the tradition alive.

The high times of salsa in Medellín were in the 1970s when dozens of salsa bars opened in the city center and people danced the new dance that had come from New York.

Junin and Palace, two streets paralel to La Oriental, were the spine of the booming salsa culture in the pre-Escobar era.

The 1980's changed everything in Medellín. The cocaine boom and the coming of the cartels, especially the one of Pablo Escobar, killed the vivid nightlife of one of Colombia's wealthiest cities.

In the middle of Medellín most violent period, a group of salsa fanatics started a radiostation, Latina Stereo. The radiostation tried to revive the dying culture of salsa by pumping the grooves and basslines of the classic salsa brava into the airwaves.

Most clubs in the city center never survived the drug violence of the 1980s. Two did. Bururu Barara, close to the University of Antioqui still opens its doors, but the violence of the reggaeton movement killed Medellín's Brisas de Puerto Rico. It was forced to close doors in 2007.

In many other parts of the city new bars opened, carrying on the tradition of what the godfathers of salsa had started in the 1970s. They do not play regaeton or the romantic puerto rican nonsense that has been polluting the salsa with lies dipped in honey.

The salsa isn't dead, it's just retreated and operates from basements or in dark, small livingroom-like bars. But when finding the place, be sure to be hearing the best of boogaloo grinds and salsa grooves and see some of the finest freestyle salsa dancing.