In Colombia, music isn’t just background noise—it’s center stage. It’s the heart of every party, the energy that flows through neighborhoods, generations, and regions. And if there’s one thing the past decade of streaming has made clear, it’s that Colombia doesn’t just export talent—it proudly celebrates it at home.
Now Spotify is launching “Súbele a Eso” (“Turn That Up”), a new initiative to amplify the growing connection between Colombians and their vibrant cultural identity. Spotify took to the streets of Bogotá, Cali, and Cartagena to document where and how music is truly lived—on street corners and inside homes, raw and unfiltered.
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Since entering the market in 2013, Spotify has been moving to Colombia’s rhythm, witnessing firsthand the incredible growth of local music. Today, Colombia turns up the volume on its local artists—literally—more than 60% of countries around the world.
This underscores a remarkable transformation in recent years. In 2020, only 3 of every 10 songs in Colombia’s Top 50 chart were by Colombian artists. Since then, the time Colombians spend listening to local artists has skyrocketed by nearly 600%. Currently, more than half of the Top 50 chart (56%) features local artists, showcasing the incredible talent and diversity of the country’s music scene.
“For the past 10 years, we’ve witnessed how streaming has not only opened more opportunities for local artists, but has also become the perfect tool for building stronger, more lasting fan communities,” said Manuela Echeverry, Artist & Label Partnerships Lead for the Andean Region at Spotify. “There are more than 700 million user-created playlists on Spotify that include our music in all its diversity. Today, we’re more certain than ever that this is our flag: the variety of sounds and voices that exist in Colombia.”
The sounds of Colombia: Vallenato, música popular, and Afrobeats
Genres like vallenato and música popular are resonating strongly with young listeners in Colombia who are rediscovering icons like Los Diablitos and Binomio de Oro. Local vallenato streams have increased by 50% on Spotify compared to last year, while artists like Luis Alfonso and Nico Hernández are capturing the hearts of younger audiences in the música popular scene.
Colombian Afrobeats are also breaking through, with a 186% increase in local streams on Spotify compared to last year. Artists like Beéle and Kapo are leading the national charts, with Kapo’s collaboration with Danny Ocean, “Imagínate,” charting for more than 20 weeks and Beéle topping Colombia’s Top 50.
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