Para leer este artículo en español, clic aquí: Rancho Aparte

One of the musical groups invited to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, which is part of the celebration of Colombia at the Expedia Cultural Exchange, is Rancho Aparte.

Directly from the Department of Chocó, Rancho Aparte represents the sounds of the Colombian Pacific, such as abozaos, polkas, rebulú, contradances, and jugas through its music. They are the most recognized band of Chirimía, a rhythm that uses brass instruments and rescues the roots and soul of a region where joy is present despite daily difficulties. “The Chirimía has a combination of instruments of European origin with native instruments; it is an ancient musical format to which the voice and lyrics and other instruments were added over time,” says Dino Manuelle, Rancho Aparte’s vocalist.

The group’s energy has made them stand out in Colombia, and they have conquered audiences on stages such as the WOMEX Festival in Budapest and the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan. They have been the favorites of the Colombian Pacific music festival, the Petronio Alvarez in Cali, Colombia, where they performed an exciting brass band exchange with the renowned Hot 8 Brass Band from New Orleans.

For Manuelle, the experience of playing with the Hot 8 Brass Band was a great idea. “We connected, and three groups played a Chirimía song together. The energy was tremendous, and we didn’t want to leave the stage,” he said, adding that the similarity between New Orleans brass and the Chirimía is in the percussion and wind instruments, in that it is very urban and street music.

Their performance at Jazz Fest will bring them their first in the United States. They hope to discover more New Orleans rhythms, connect with other bands from around the world who will be present at the festival, and, of course, be ready to make the audience enjoy themselves. “At Rancho Aparte, we do not spare a single drop of sweat. The audience will jump, sing, and get to know the music of our population and our country. They will feel everything from emotion to reflection with the lyrics of our songs,’ says Manuelle.

Don’t miss Rancho Aparte’s performances at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. You can discover more about this band through their soc