Kombilesa Mi

Born from the rich musical and historical heritage of San Basilio de Palenque, Colombia (the first free black town in America), Kombilesa Mí fuses the tra- ditional sounds of the community with rap. The group experiments with the instruments created by their ancestors (and introduced to them when they were young), layering them between new sounds. Over traditional percussion, handmade steel drums of his own design and marím- bula, Kombilesa Mí rhymes and raps in Spanish and the traditional Palenquera language, a fusion of African Bantu, Portuguese, French and English. Kombilesa’s most recognized hits Mí como Má Kuagro, Así es palenque, Los hairstyles, I a piya bó, among others, are part of their two albums, the first Así es palenque released in 2016 with which they were nominated for best independent group at the Shock Awards in Colombia and the second Esa palenkera released in 2019 with which they made their debut tour in the United States participating in venues such as NPR Tiny Desk in 2022. In November 2023 they participate in the premiere of the documentary De la Calle the origins of urban music produced by Paramount and MTV.