Bogotá — the capital and largest city of Colombia — was founded 486 years ago today (Aug. 6), and Billboard is celebrating by spotlighting some of its musical gems. Our list (in alphabetical order below) includes a mix of renowned and emerging artists from the likes of Latin rock giants Aterciopelados to up-and-coming pop star Ela Taubert.
The former is a three-time Latin Grammy-winning band and five-time Grammy nominee. The latter, who’s gained traction on social media with her suave, melancholy vocals, recently nabbed the new generation – female award at the 2024 Premios Juventud. Colombia, overall, is known for its rich musical culture — represented across genres by top-tier artists such as Cali’s Grupo Niche (salsa), Medellín’s Karol G (reggaetón), Montería’s Aniceto Molina (cumbia), and La Guajira’s Diomedes Díaz (vallenato).
In Bogotá — which was founded on Aug. 6, 1538 by Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada and became Colombia’s capital on August 7, 1819 — the music scene is varied, but far more edgy, indie, alternative and pop-centric. Its music and live scene is so powerful and vibrant that in 2012 it was named a UNESCO City of Music.
“What is happening currently with Colombian music is, first, the reflection of a country that has many geographies and therefore also a lot of sound richness,” Aterciopelados’ singer, Andrea Echeverri, previously said to Billboard Español . “There are not only Caribbean sounds .