Totó la Momposina

“The fisherman talks to the moon but he has no luck, only his hard work”, sings Totó la Momposina in her hit song “El Pescador” and describes her childhood world by the Rio Magdalena in North Colombia.

In a call-and-response with the choir, her glowing voice floats over the tambor drum rhythms of Afro-Colombian percussion. Hand-clapping, flutes, guitars and trumpets combine and harness the energy. The "Queen of Cumbia" is in her element. This family of five generations of musicians helped her launch an international career: her debut alsum “La Candela Viva” was released on Peter Gabriel’s Real World label. While Timbaland and Manu Chao recycle her music and “El Pescador” wowed the clubs in its House reincarnation in 2009, she remains the “Cantadora“ – the charismatic and venerable diva, worshipped as a national treasure in Colombia.