With “Catalina,” Estrellas Del Caribe continue to demonstrate why they remain one of the most vital voices in Afro-Colombian music. Taken from their latest album La Terapia del Palenque, the song is a vibrant showcase of the band’s longstanding commitment to the musical and linguistic traditions of San Basilio de Palenque, while also expanding their reach through deft incorporation of pan-African and Caribbean styles.

Formed in the late 1970s by Leonel Torres, Rosalio Salgado and Laureano Tejedor, Estrellas del Caribe emerged as one of the foundational groups of what has since become known as terapia criolla, a genre born from the collision of Palenquero musical heritage with external influences, especially soukous from the Congo, Ghanaian highlife, afrobeat, and the more rhythmic strains of Caribbean pop. Their sound is as much about preservation as it is about reinvention. Though rooted in the traditional lumbalú and chalupa rhythms of Palenque, Estrellas del Caribe have always embraced change, often via the electric guitar, drum machines, or synthesiser lines threaded through their arrangements.

“Catalina” is a prime example of that balance. It opens with crisp, interlocking percussion and quickly introduces a nimble guitar figure reminiscent of West African dance music: fluid, melodic, and cleanly articulated. The rhythm section anchors the song with a cyclical groove, while the vocals, delivered in both Spanish and Palenquero, carry an emotional register that’s both celebratory and reflective. There’s a sense of movement throughout, not just dancefloor momentum, but historical continuity, cultural transmission.

Released on 4 April via Polen Records, La Terapia del Palenque showcases Estrellas Del Caribe’s commitment to cultural preservation through music. “Catalina,” as the album’s opening track, invites listeners into a world where history and modernity coexist harmoniously, offering a rhythmic journey through the heart of Afro-Colombian identity. The production is polished but never clinical, capturing the warmth of live percussion and the intricacies of call-and-response phrasing.

This album also marks a renewed international visibility for the group. While long celebrated in Colombia—and recognised by ethnomusicologists and crate-diggers alike—Estrellas del Caribe have reached broader audiences in recent years through performances at Berlin’s Haus der Kulturen der Welt and France’s Banlieues Bleues Festival. Despite that reach, their work remains deeply rooted in Palenque’s language, rhythms, and community life.

You can listen to and get your copy of La Terapia del Palenque HERE