PALENQUE RECORDS -THE HISTORY OF PALENQUE RECORDS -
En 1998, DJ CHAMPETA-MAN ORIGINAL crea el sello disquero "Palenque Records", para dar a conocer la Champeta Criolla y la musica afro-colombiana en Europa. Ese año es lanzado al mercado la primera produccion del sello : "Champeta Criolla, New African Music From Colombia" (Palenque Records-Night&Day). Era la primera vez que la Champeta salia de los barrios marginales de Cartagena, para acceder a un publico internacional. La acogida fue excelente. Esa produccion fue uno de los esfuerzos pioneros en sacar a la Champeta de su anonimato, y antecedio el boom champetuo a nivel nacional, durante el 2001. Luego fueron publicados dos discos sobre la musica tradicional de Palenque, y en particular el grupo Sexteto Tabala : Sexteto Tabala (Ocora - Harmonia Mundi); y "Sexteto Tabala : Reyes del Son Afro-Colombiano" (Buda Records-Uiversal). Son grabaciones que dieron por primera vez a conocer el genero del Son Palenquero, mezcla de Son Cubano con Cumbia y Bullerengue. Estos discos fueron grabados in situ, con la ayuda de un estudio mobil. En 2002, sale al mercado una segunda compilacion : Champeta Criolla Vol 2, Visionary Black Music from Underground Colombiafrica" (Palenque Records - Night& Day). Durante cuatro años, Lucas Silva trabajo en la produccion del primero y ultimo trabajo discografico de Paulino Salgado "Batata", la leyenda del tambor afro-colombiano, que murio recientemente en Bogota. El disco "Batata y su Rumba Palenquera" fue publicado en Abril del año 2003, por el sello aleman Network. De todos los discos publicados por el sello, es el que ha tenido mejor acogida. La revista inglesa Song Lines lo puso entre los 50 mejores discos de musica del mundo de todos los tiempos. Sin embargo, fue realizado a costa de duros sacrificios y sin ningun tipo de financiamiento externo. En Febrero 2004, Palenque Records lanzo dos nuevas producciones : "Las Alegres Ambulancias", Musica Funeraria de Palenque (Buda Records / Universal) y el disco "Musicas de Palenque" (Ocora- Harmonia Mundi). El sello disquero tiene muchos proyectos, pero siendo pionero en su actividad ha tenido que pasar por muchas dificultades. Sin embargo, consideramos que hemos abierto un espacio en Europa y que las posibilidades para el futuro son excelentes. Nuestra mision es la de salvaguardar el patrimonio cultural colombiano, y transmitirlo a las generaciones futuras. Los mejores musicos de nuestra tierra se encuentran en el olvido, y es de vital importancia que su arte quede plasmado en una produccion discografica, pues estos ritmos y expresiones folcloricas son lo mas valioso que tiene nuestra tierra.

WE SOUND LIKE NOBODY FUCKING ELSE ¡¡¡¡ SONAMOS COMO LOS ANCESTROS DE COLOMBIA Y AFRICA...

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PRESENTING PALENQUE RECORDS
_______ YOUR VAUDOU LABEL FROM COLOMBIA_________
and our new CD : CHAMPETA CRIOLLA VOL 2 " VISIONARY BLACK MUSIC FROM UNDERGROUND COLOMBIAFRICA" ____________ Distribution : Night&Day France - STERNS AFRICAN MUSIC (USA UK)________

Was' up my people!!! Palenque Records comin' back attcha with some African ashé ; happy and proud to bring you Afro-Colombian music from the Caribbean coast- the Champeta Criolla !!! This is the new musical universe created by blacks from my locombian land: African guitar with voices from the hood, Latin Soukous, Afro-American Highlife, tropical mariguano Afro-beat, Cumbia Sowetoin other words, a wild mix of music- no passports please Dear melody-maniacs, Champeta is the most explosive rhythm out of the Caribbean's belly since the end of the century, and it's rewriting the "New Testament of Afro-American music". 40 years ago, crazy sailors coming from Africa arrived in Cartagena, bringing with them albums bought during their shameless nights of folly. This was stuff like the celestial music of Prince Nico Mbarga (Cameroon-Nigeria), the Oriental Brothers (Nigeria), Tabu Ley Rochereau & Mbilia Bell du Congo, and a long list of the "Highlife Master Messagers", who made music both feet firmly rooted in the Earth, near the spirits of the ancestors. Thanks to these anonymous travelers, and to the vitality of my Afro-Colombian brothers who have made African music the rhythm of their hearts, in less than 10 years Colombia has become the "Soukous Republic of America". Today, these African stars provide major inspiration for thousands of youth who dream of forming their own groups to play Soukous, Highlife & Afro-beat in the streets of my great country. Sound systems are the musical conservatories of marginal suburbia. They are the University of African History for hundreds of young champetuosthe true "Papa Sabor" of all theboyz-in-tha-hood, the future U-Roys, Big Youths or Beenie Man of Colombia inspired by these giant machines of bestial sound to change the direction of our street music. The irrefutable fathers of this music are the black maroons from the San Basilio village of Palenque, near Carthagena. Viviano Torres with his group Anne Swing, Justo Valdes & Son Palenque, the group Kussima with Hernan HernandezWithout them, this musical movement would not exist today. Champeta Vol. 2 (y mas na'!!!)- FOR REAL MOTHERFUCKERS In 1998, was born the label Palenque Records with its first album, "Champeta Criolla- New African Music From Colombia- Vol. 1". It was the first Champeta record published outside the frontiers of our Caribbean. This production had great success in France, USA, Germany, SpainToday, after 2 years of intense musical and cinematic work, we are coming back with this production, "Champeta Criolla Vol. 2- Visionary Black Music From Underground Colombiafrica"- a new stone in the pyramidal construction of our underground Afro-Colombian sound. For this adventure, Palenque Records has called in two world champions of box known by all: MC IBA, an African music guru in France, and Lucas Silva, Colombian traveler, film-maker and musical director, better known in the ghetto streets as "Super Champeta-Man". To sum it all up, two warriors of black music, scientists of the "vacile efectivo" ("maximum enjoyment" in champetuo slang),that never compromise when it comes to the fight. This compilation unites 17 titles, produced and recorded by the architects of the Champetuo sound of Carthagena: the famous Chawala, selector for the Rey De Rocha Sound System, Yamiro Marin, musical producer, the celebrated Dr. Jekill & Mr, Hyde, king of Nigerian music in Colombia, Luis Garcia and Alvaro Cuellar, mixers, and all the singers and other musicians incessantly working to construct this musical tower of Babel. Listen to the sounds of a new country, being built even as I write these lines. An African- Colombia rising beautifully on the ruins of our colonial past. What's Comin' ? ? ? More Colombian Vaudoo System. Palenque Records will always be around, with an ear locked onto all the Caribbean Sound Systems in order to bring you the most inspired music from the streets, all the streets of the Latino ghetto. In these Colombian streets, abandoned to God and the Devil, musicians the size of John Lee Hooker, Compay Segundo, King Sunny Ade, and Miles Davis walk the streets in total anonymity living with nothing, in misery!!!! Our task is long and hard. We are constructing, on the ruins of colonialism, the edifice of our Latino-Black-World music. We are constantly voyaging through new and risky territories; in a magnificent and crazy Safari across "savage" planets. Our Land-Rover jeep is encrusted with mud and surrounded by ferocious beasts: loud-speakers making the entire forest tremble, beautiful creatures straight out of our dreams They are all the inhabitants of the new musical world we are trying to invent, trying to support through our modest discography efforts. In our travels, we rediscover America everyday. Because we are Latino-Afro-Americans, we will always have something new to discover. And from each new experience, we bring back new inspiration for our writing of - as long as Oloddumare allows it- the New Testament of Afro-American Music. --- Ashé Eleggua, ashé Orula, ashé Obatala, ashé Shango, ashé Oggun, ashé Yemaya & Ochun, ashé a todos los Orishas, a todos los niños de la simpatia- pa'lante es pa'rriba & pa'rriba es pa'lante!!! -- Lucas Silva- Ifá Man Original ------- For more information please contact : palenquerecords@yahoo.com