Take it from the boys in Skampida, the best ways to learn a language are 1) to watch a lot of tv (yabla!) and 2) to find yourself a native girlfriend/boyfriend! Skampida is one of the best bands ever from Bogotá, and we caught up with them while they were spending some time hangeando in The Big Manzana.

ChocQuibTown is a name everyday more common on Colombian airwaves and dance floors. Their mix of traditional rhythms from el Pacífico with hip-hop elements and a heavy dose of “funky” is earning them a place on the playlists of both young listeners as well as a more traditional audience. In this Yabla-exclusive interview, we had the chance to chat with the band about where, exactly, it’s all at.

In Colombia, costeño y cachaco are almost opposite terms. Costeños, that is de la costa, people from the Coast, are usually depicted as festive, noisy, and colorful people who really enjoy killing time. Cachaco is usually the name given to people from the capital, Bogotá, and they’re characterized by elegance; they’re always dressed up and in control of their emotions. One group is seen as lazy, the other as boring. Regional differences aside, Bomba Estéreo is a fresh musical mix of both regions.

William Bonilla is a good friend of ours who invited Yabla to his apartment to share his points of view about his musical career. Here, he talks about his beginnings.

Willy learned to play guitar mostly by himself, but he soon discovered the importance of having people to share his passion with. Then he talks about how New York changed his musical tastes.

Colombian musician, Willy, continues to explain to us about his creative process as well as what music means to him.

In the fourth and final part of his interview, Colombian musician, Willy, explains what he feels making music requires and how it it enriches his life.

Native Colombians speak about the importance of taking pride in their traditional music as well as its influences as they look forward to celebrating it at a festival.

At Colombia's Mono Núñez music festival, many indigenous musical instruments can be heard. Learn about some of them in this video.

Colombians at the Mono Núñez Festival in Cali talk about their objectives for attending it, among them the importance of preserving traditional Colombian rhythms in a period in which their mainstream popularity is waning.

Festivaliando continues its behind-the-scenes peek at the music, performers and attendees of the famed Mono Núñez Festival in Ginebra, Valle de Cauca, Colombia.

Mario learns that diversity at the Mono Núñez Festival extends beyond the various Colombian musicians, as English people seem to enjoy Andean music as much as Colombians do!

Singing in Nasa Yuwe, their native language, is one way in which Colombia's indigenous Nasa population strives to preserve and make more visible their language, culture and customs.

At Colombia's Mono Núñez music festival, native Colombians and foreigners alike share their deep love for traditional Colombian music.

European and Colombian aficionados of "bambuco" music give their perspectives on whether this Colombian genre has European influences.

At Colombia’s Mono Núñez music festival, native Colombians and foreigners alike share their deep love for traditional Colombian music. At the suggestion of one Colombian musician, some of them agree to create a cultural exchange group so that musicians from various countries can discusss the Andean music they are so passionate about.

As the festival continues, we meet a group of Colombians who talk about how they've modernized the themes of the Andean music they play. We also meet an Argentinian who shares about the types of songs she performs.

As the festival goes on, we encounter a sixteen-year-old winner of the Best Tiple Player award while some twin singers offer some insight into their particularly well-coordinated voices.

Feeling for the vendors who don't get a chance to hear the wonderful music at the Mono Núñez Festival, our host comes up with a plan to take the music to them. He furthermore interviews an Argentinean member of a group who makes Andean music about the similarities and differences between the Andean music made in Argentina and Colombia.

Our host at the Mono Núñez festival in Colombia continues to interview people who have come to the festival from many countries, expressing his desire to create an integrated musical product: Colombian music with influences from many different countries and cultures.

An itinerant concert at the Mono Núñez gives people who could not otherwise attend the festival the chance to experience some of its music and festivities.

Our behind-the-scenes look at the Colombian Mono Núñez music festival continues with an interview with a group who plays Afro-Colombian music and, has opted to perform but not to enter the festival's contest.

Do the rules and restrictions associated with entering a contest like the Mono Núñez affect the musicians' artistic freedom? In this segment, our host and musicians examine that question.

This segment explores the extent to which the musicians at the Mono Núñez festival combine formal training with natural instinct to make their traditional Colombian music.