Soundway Records

Soundway sets sail for the Colombian coastal town of Cartagena. Sourced from a period when musicians effortlessly combined the swing of cumbia with the driving bass of salsa, Cartagena! un-wraps a period of musical history seldom heard beyond the tropical coast of South America.

Compiled by Roberto Gyemant with the help of Colombian resident Will ‘Quantic’ Holland and Miles Cleret, Cartagena! focuses on the extraordinary life and career of Curro Fuentes, the youngest brother of the family responsible for the Discos Fuentes label.

Cartagena! features 19 tracks and is presented on CD and double gatefold LP, designed by Lewis Heriz. Both CD and LP include detailed liner notes and offer insights from Will Holland’s interview with the late Curro Fuentes.

“Wailing clarinets and delirious, sleazy saxes evoke a sense of Benny Goodman-style swing gone wild in the tropics.” The Telegraph

“Cumbia compilations of this consistently high quality are pretty thin on the ground.” The Independent on Sunday