High Music is Putting Putumayo on the map

**The Puerto Asis based trio mixes compelling melodies with infectious energy.**
Article: *Trelldot*
Key Graphic: *Trelldot*
Principal Interview: *Angie Tatiana Caicedo Ortiz*

¡Oye Primo!

In the vast sea of Urban Latin music, there is something special about what High Music, a group based in the Putumayo region of Colombia, brings to the table. In the video for their single “Otra Cerveza”, the trio (made of Daner, Fory, and BCriss, a group of creatives who later realized that they were family members) wanders down the streets of the La Floresta neighborhood of Puerto Asis during a block party. As they weave in and out of the scene, the party swells in the background and eventually interrupts into a conga line in the streets. While the trio smiles and dances their way through the busy environment, you feel an infectious energy that makes you want to groove and join the party. And it is with this same energy that High Music aims to make their mark on the world.

High Music is a Colombian based trio made up of artists Fory (left), Daner (middle) and BCriss (right).

FROM PUTUMAYO TO THE WORLD!

Colombia is a country known for its cultural and natural beauty , but there is relatively little international interest outside of the cultural hubs of Medellin, Cali, and Cartagena. Of Colombia’s 32 departments, Putumayo is located on the border of Peru and Ecuador, and features both the Andes mountain and the Amazon rainforest. Putumayo’s difficult terrain and isolation has led it to be underdeveloped relative to departments in the North, especially the music scene, which is tiny compared to a global city like Medellin. This same isolation has allowed for a kind of culture and sound that you can not find anywhere else in the world.

***Luis Camilo “Fory” Delgado (age 20) handles the group’s social media posts, as well as sharing songwriting responsibilities with the other 2 members.***

“I am a proud Putumayan, and I feel fortunate to have been born in such a marvelous land full of culture. It is also beautiful to be around so much artistic talent.” says Fory, who works on the group's social media content while sharing songwriting responsibilities.

The band has been active for over 8 years, and their success has made them into local legends in their community. In addition to their performances, they regularly give talks at schools to students and other artists.

“Our vision for the future is to continue working in a way that making music is all we do,” Fory continues, “we want to change the way our roots are perceived, and we want Putumayo to be like a second Medellín, where talent flourishes, and support is always present.”

finding an audience

High Music first got their start in October 2015. They began as performers, booking whatever events they could within the area in Puerto Asis (one of the major cities in Putumayo), as well as sharing their performances on their YouTube channel. “Initially our repertoire consisted of covers of other artists, since we had to raise the money to record in a studio,” explains Daner, who handles the marketing strategies for the group, “but that all changed in 2019 with our first single.” This single was ‘Sabroso,” which was released during the Puerto Asis Carnival of 2019. In order to maximize the impact of their debut single, the band performed live to the audience of the carnival the same day of the music video release.

***Cristian “BCriss” Cabezas Delgado (age 21) handles much of the creative direction and production within the group.***

“We were very nervous at first because it was the first time performing in front of such a large audience (over 10,000 people were in attendance), but thanks to our efforts our song reached 10,000 plays within the first 24 hours,” recounts BCriss, who handles much of the production for the group. “The single exceeded our expectations by far and opened the door for multiple tours and interviews. This motivated us to always give our best to our community and show the evolution of these Putumayo artists with each song.”

As the trio explores their sound, they are committed to staying within the urban genres while keeping dance at the forefront. Daner clarifies, “We deeply appreciate dance in our culture, and we seek sounds that encourage people to move while also giving them the unique style of High Music.”

Style and Influences

***Dumar “Daner” Castillo Quinones (age 22) coordinates the branding, marketing, and promotion for the group.***

In addition to their unique sound, High Music owes much of their success to their compelling visuals. In their videos “Otra Cerveza” and “Sabroso”, the group is able to showcase their unique personalities while representing iconic locations from their hometown. "’Otra Cerveza’ was a well-prepared production, shot in one take on one of the iconic streets of the La Floresta neighborhood, ” Fory diagrams, “while ‘Sabroso’ was our first traditional song and was recorded in several locations, including the Subterráneo nightclub, Keops nightclub, the Sintetica La Bombonera sports field.” The trio also has a great sense of style which shines through in their visuals. The video for “Otra Cerveza” features them all in attire representing their favorite sports teams from the US (I would wear Daner’s Yankee's jacket right now), while the video for “Las Crocs” is a colorful tribute to footwear. “Our intention is to stay up on trends while maintaining our style,” BCriss explains, “For example, we study examples to plan our visual direction, including our outfits and scene direction.”

So What's next?

Although High Music started off as friends sharing an interest in music, the trio soon discovered that they were in fact family members. They took this as a sign from God that they were meant to make music together.

It’s no secret Latin artists have had an astronomical success the last few years (growing 33% in stream sizes since 2022), and artists like Karol G or J Balvin prove that superstardom is attainable for Colombian artists. After having tasted success, the trio of High Music are not shy about their ambitions to succeed.

Our main plan is for our music to represent Putumayo and be internationally recognized,” BCriss states without hesitation, “We want to win a grammy, or play in Vina del Mar.”

Without missing a beat, Fory adds, “We also want to establish a record label to help develop the talents of Putumayo.”

But even with success at their front door, the trio of High Music is staying centered in their mission. “Our most important objective is to leave our music in the hearts of every person that listens to it,” Daner finishes, “if we do that, everything else will come in due time.”

And while it is impossible to know what path lies ahead for the rising young stars, we are certain that we will be dancing along the way.