Pombo Musical facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pombo Musical
Studio album by Various artists
Released	August 13, 2008 (2008-08-13)
Recorded	2006
Genre	Folk Latin pop
Length	51:53
Label	Gaira Música Local
Producer	Claudia Elena Vásquez (exec.) Carlos Vives
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Pombo Musical is a special children's album created by Colombian musician Carlos Vives. It's a musical tribute to a famous Colombian writer and poet named Rafael Pombo. The album was released on August 13, 2008, by Vives' own music company, Gaira Música Local.

The idea for Pombo Musical came from Juanita Santos, who leads the Rafael Pombo Foundation. She asked Carlos Vives to create a musical project using Pombo's most famous poems and fables. The album mixes many types of traditional Colombian folk music with modern styles like Latin pop and pop rock. Out of 14 songs, only one was released as a single: "El Modelo Alfabético" (which means "The Model Alphabetical"). All the song lyrics were originally written by Rafael Pombo, and Carlos Vives produced the music.

Pombo Musical was very popular. It was certified platinum in Colombia, meaning it sold a lot of copies. It also won important awards, including a Latin Grammy Award for Best Latin Children's Album and a Premio Shock for Best Compilation.

How the Album Was Made

After promoting his album El Rock de Mi Pueblo in 2004, Carlos Vives took a break from recording his own music. During this time, he focused on helping other local artists as a producer and songwriter. He then met Juanita Santos from the Rafael Pombo Foundation. She asked him to create a musical project based on Pombo's well-known poems and fables.

This idea excited Vives and his team. They started reading many books about Rafael Pombo and his works. Pombo Musical began as a project among old friends, including Carlos Ivan Medina, Carlos Huertas, and Ernesto "Teto" Ocampo. Vives said they had worked on some of Pombo's pieces before, just for fun, without planning an album. For example, someone had already made a melody for "Rin Rin." Vives and Medina then created the music for "Modelo Alfabético." On July 24, 2008, "El Modelo Alfabético" was released as the first song from the album. It was based on a Pombo poem and mixed cumbia and rock music.

The album took two years to record because so many artists contributed to it. Famous musicians like Juanes, Aterciopelados, Fonseca, and Andrea Echeverri lent their voices. The album's launch party happened at Gaira Café Cumbia House bar in Bogotá, Colombia, on August 13, 2008.

What the Songs Are About

Carlos Vives produced Pombo Musical, with his wife, Claudia Elena Vasquez, as the executive producer. The album was recorded over two years in four different music studios in Colombia. The songs feature various Colombian folk music styles, such as vallenato, bambuco, joropo, and cumbia. Some songs also blend in modern sounds like Latin pop and pop rock.

The first song, "El Modelo Alfabético" ("The Model Alphabetical"), is a mix of rock, cumbia, and vallenato. Carlos Vives, Dúo Huellas, Eduardo Arias, and Karl Troller perform it. The song teaches children the alphabet and talks about being a true gentleman with good manners.

"El Renacuajo Paseador" ("The Tadpole Walker") is a bambuco song. It's performed by Andrea Echeverri, Lucia Pulido, and many others, including Carlos Vives. This song tells the story of a tadpole named "Rin Rin" who leaves home without his mother's permission. Sadly, he dies when he hides in a duck's mouth. Andrea Echeverri even added new lines to this classic story.

Juanes sings "El Gato Bandido" ("The Bandit Cat"), a pop rock song. It's about a cat who rebels and leaves his family. He soon learns that life is hard on his own and returns home, feeling sorry for what he did. Aterciopelados performs "Mirringa Mirronga," which describes a huge party for cats.

Juanes is one of the many artists who sang on Pombo Musical.

Andrea Echeverri also lent her voice to the album.

"El Robanidos" ("The Rob-nests") is a tropipop song sung by Fonseca. It tells the story of a child who steals a bird's nest and is then eaten by a black cat. Verónica Orozco performs "Pastorcita" ("Little Shepherdess"), a rock song about a shepherdess who loses her sheep but eventually finds them. "El Coche" ("The Car"), performed by Distrito Especial, is about a car that impresses everyone who sees it. Lucia Pulido sings "Dios y el Alma" ("God and the Soul"), a joropo song that shares Pombo's thoughts about the soul. "Juan Chunguero" is about a bagpiper named Chunguero who makes many people angry but then falls in love with a shepherdess.

"Simón el Bobito" ("Simón the Little Fool") is performed by Santiago Cruz and H2 El Guajiro. This song is like a popular English nursery rhyme and tells about a boy named Simon. "El Niño y la Mariposa" ("The Kid and the Butterfly"), sung by Adriana Lucia and Dúo Huellas, is about a butterfly asking a child not to hurt her. "La Pobre Viejecita" ("The Little Poor Old Woman") is a bambuco song performed by Carlos Vives and his brother. It tells the sad story of an unhappy old woman who dies alone. "La Tia Pasipotre" ("The Pasitrote Aunt") is a funk rock song by Ilona about a wild aunt's adventures. Finally, Julio Navas sings "Juan Matachín," which is about a general who causes widespread fear.

Songs on the Album

All songs written and composed by Rafael Pombo. 

Awards and Sales

See also

In Spanish: Pombo musical para niños