The Original Sound of Cumbia explores the rich tradition of Colombian cumbia & porro, with focuses on some of the earliest recorded sounds of the genre and the evolution of it, as the captivating style traveled from its birthplace "on the Caribbean coast in land to central Colombia and the capital Bogota." This is Volume 1, and contains close to 30 tracks, explores the stunning and joyful origins of cumbia & porro through original 78s from key figures like - Alberto Pacheco, Angel Martinez, Anibal Velasquez, etc - that pushed the music forward by experimenting with new influences and instruments. This massive and definitive project, five years in the making, is the result of Quantic "becoming slowly submerged in Colombian musical culture," which lead the producer/DJ to learn the accordion, start a band, and of course, scour through the country, find, and listen to hundreds of 78s, 45s, and LPs from years 1948-1979. 29 tracks total, comes with detailed liner notes and free MP3 download. This vinyl version is limited to 1500 copies. Highly recommended.

• music label: Soundway

reviewed by Nakinboots 01/2012