05/08/2026
OUT TODAY on Electric Cowbell by OM Producciones from Colombia! Rincón de África by Son Palenque! On limited edition green vinyl!
https://electriccowbellrecords.bandcamp.com/album/rinc-n-de-frica
The legendary Afro-Colombian group Son Palenque, founded and directed by singer and composer Justo Valdés, celebrates over four decades of musical history with the release of their new album Rincón de África.
Originally released on digital platforms in March 2025, the vinyl version of this album will be available worldwide in May 2026. It marks an important milestone in the band’s 40-year recording career and stands as a vibrant testament to the living musical traditions of Colombia’s Caribbean coast.
The recording features 14 tracks, including 10 previously unrecorded compositions, written by key members of the group including Justo Valdés, Pánfido Valdés, and Enrique Tejedor.
Rincón de África is a powerful expression of the cultural heritage of San Basilio de Palenque, the first free African town in the Americas and a UNESCO-recognized center of Afro-Colombian culture. The album includes four songs performed in Palenquero, the community’s native creole language: “Chamukina,” “Monasito,” “Balica Mi,” and “Musumbi.” These songs highlight the deep African roots that continue to shape Palenque’s musical identity.
Musically, the album moves across several traditional and contemporary Afro-Caribbean styles. Listeners will hear the driving rhythms of champeta in songs such as “Rincón de África,” “Chapeto,” and “Novia de Barranquilla,” alongside traditional forms including chalupa, sexteto, and bullerengue in tracks like “El Puente de Palenque,” “Anaito,” and “Mina Toto.”
The result is a dynamic recording that bridges ancestral rhythms with the modern Afro-Caribbean sound that Son Palenque helped pioneer. With Rincón de África, Son Palenque reaffirms their legacy as one of the most important voices of Afro-Colombian music, continuing to bring the sounds and language of Palenque to audiences around the world.
