1. Colombian Culture
By Kasandra Bartels
History 141

2. Music
• Colombian music blends
Spanish-influenced guitar and
song structure with large gaita
flutes and percussion
instruments from the indigenous
population, while its percussion
structure and dance forms come
from Africa.
• In the 1970’s, Colombians went
crazy for salsa. The man who
was most instrumental in
creating Colombia’s salsa scene
was Julio Ernesto Estrada
Rincon, known as “Fruko”, who
with his band, Fruko y los Tesos,
began heating up the streets of
the urban coast.

3. Food
• Colombian Cuisine is very diverse
and varies depending on the
different regions of Colombia. In
some areas you will find specialties
like roasted ants or guinea pigs
while in other areas Colombians
wouldn't even touch those dishes.
• A common main dish would be
Ajiaco, which consists of Chicken
soup like mom used to make it. It
includes chicken, two (preferably
three) kinds of potatoes, corn, sour
cream, capers, avocado
and guasca. Guasca is a special
herb that grown throughout the
Americas and gives the soup its
distinct flavour.

4. Architecture
• The nation's architecture reflects seventeenth
century Spanish colonial origins. Regional
differences derive from those in Spain. Thus,
hints of Moorish and Castilian architecture are
evident in many cities. Many areas have had
difficulty maintaining older structures, and the
climate has destroyed many Baroque
buildings. Some of the architectural gems are
the many churches that dot the landscape.
• In the nineteenth century, a new form of
architecture began to develop from the efforts
of artisans who incorporated elements of
Greek, Roman, and Renaissance art. This style,
known as republicano, represented the
independence of Colombian art.

5. Sources
• http://latinmusic.about.com/od/countrie1/p/
PRO04BASICS.htm
• http://www.southamerica.cl/Colombia/Food.
htm
• http://www.everyculture.com/Bo-
Co/Colombia.html