In the second stopover of our Musical Road to Womex, our journey takes us to Maracaibo, Venezuela, by way of France, where we immerse ourselves in the captivating tropical sounsphere of Caribombo.
Born to a Colombian father and a Venezuelan mother, Carlos “Caribombo” Guillen is not your ordinary musician; he’s a percussionist, DJ, and producer who defies musical boundaries.
Carlos’ unique artistic path has led him to collaborate with talents from across the globe, crafting a sound that effortlessly melds Latin, Caribbean and African rhythms. From cumbia to dembow, afrobeat to afro-house, tropical to global bass, Caribombo’s music is a vibrant celebration of diverse cultures, offering a powerful and dance-worthy experience.
Could you briefly introduce your music to someone new at Womex and share the key influences and origins of your unique sound?
I was born in a very hot city called Maracaibo in Venezuela with a very hot climate where its people are very lively and happy, this greatly influenced my life and musical career.
The tropical sounds of the Caribbean were always part of my day to day, the Gaita de Tambora and the music of the Venezuelan plains (El Joropo) was one of the main bases to be a musician, these styles allowed me to advance in the search for more sounds. Latinos until reaching Dominican merengue, vallenato, cumbia among others.
I consider myself a music lover and later a musician, for this reason the search and discovery of new styles enrich me enormously and make me continue in the development and discovery of Caribombo.
Urban sounds came into my life a few years later with Changa Tuky, specifically based in the city of Caracas, techno sounds with low frequencies and with great force make me investigate where these sounds come from.
Tradition and modernity are key to Caribombo and will always be the best ingredients for musical creation.
Could you share a personal anecdote or experience that significantly impacted your musical journey and the evolution of your sound?
A first trip to the city of Bogota in Colombia gave me a direct impact on what I had been looking for for years and that is the fact of seeing how other artists enrich their culture and tradition by presenting new musical proposals and giving it current sounds.
One of the clear examples is the label I currently work with Galletas Calientes and Palenque Records, in addition to multiple bands that I met in 2012 with La Maquina del Caribe, Frente Cumbiero, Meridians Brothers, among others.
This year, in addition to visiting Bogota, I had the opportunity to be part of a group of friends and Fairtunes Colombia to develop the first album of the bullerengue group Los Palmeras de Uraba in the Uraba area.
These experiences were key for me.
In a world full of diverse musical genres, styles, and traditions, how do you believe your music stands out and brings something fresh and exciting to the audience this year?
I think I’m not innovating anything, I’m just being part of a group of people who love music and share energy, I think the music I make comes with a lot of soul and love, for this reason the dj set that I will present at Womex this year could bring joy and good vibes to the people who attend this event.
I will also be presenting new remixes and unreleased songs with percussive soundtracks that I am sure will make all types of audiences dance.
As Womex is not only a Worldwide Music Expo but also a lively global music funfair, are there any showcases you’re looking forward to attending and enjoying or artists participating that you would like to meet during those five days?
At this moment I am finishing the summer and several concerts and I have not had the opportunity to dedicate myself to researching more about the actors of Womex, however I am very interested in being able to find and discover many people so that I can present my music and also discover other musical universes, labels, artists, publishing and among others.
This edition of Womex will take place in A Coruña. Have you ever been there, and is there anything specific you’re looking forward to doing, visiting, eating, and/or drinking in the Spanish city?
I don’t know La Coruña yet, I am very happy to visit this beautiful city and above all to be able to discover Womex for the first time with my project.
I love food so I hope to be able to enjoy excellent menus in la Coruña.
I think their architecture will also be a visual delight.
Womex is a unique opportunity to share and showcase your music with new people and inform them about your upcoming projects. Could you reveal some of your plans for the future?
At the moment I am preparing my third album, it will be released in the middle of next year 2024 and will contain approximately 10 songs.
It will be released with the Galletas Calientes label and will be linked to a concert tour that is currently being prepared.
Along with the album he also prepared several remixes with the MaAuLa Records and Palenque Records labels.
If you had to draft an invitation card for our readers to join you at Womex and enjoy your showcase, what would you write in it?
I am not very good at writing about myself but I am sure of one thing, I am from Maracaibo – Venezuela, from a very early age I knew that music would be the way to happiness, this year I have the opportunity to represent two countries Venezuela and France and I will the best possible to stand out in this edition of Womex 2023.
See you soon friends to share and enjoy at Womex 2023.
- Caribombo will be performing at the Club Summit (Playa Club) on Saturday 28th October from 3.30AM -
- You can find all the previous episodes of Musical Road to Womex HERE -