When Tostao (Carlos Valencia Ortiz) first attended the South by Southwest SXSW Festival in Austin Texas 13 years ago, his story as an artist was forever changed. Considered one of the main platforms of the music industry, this 2023 edition expects to have 250,000 attendees, promoters, agents, record labels, artists and specialized journalists, who are searching for talent ready to take the great global leap. In addition to being one of the main musical stages, it is an iconic platform for opportunities and business.
For this reason, when Tostao received the invitation for the Exotic Rhythm Movement to participate in the official “Sonidos Afro” showcase of this edition, he knew that it was the opportunity to infect the world with a proposal that has already infected Colombians, the Exotic Rhythm Movement. :
“We took over Colombia and now we are going around the world. We know they are going to be very receptive to music. When this vibe and this energy is played, the people who listen to it are infected and connected”, says Tostao, artist and creator.
The Exotic Rhythm for the World movement was born in Quibdó, Chocó, and breaks all stereotypes and imaginaries. It is a musical artistic project, supported by Tostao (multi-platinum artist, winner of two Latin Grammys and founder of Chocquibtown), in collaboration with young Afro-Colombians, who are proud of their rhythms, their roots, their ethnicity and their identity. In addition to being “pure enjoyment”, it has a hopeful message: it is worth being away from the streets, creating and taking advantage of talent by working with passion and creativity.
“We started Exótiqueo with “La luz” only 7 months ago: and this is already here. It’s nice to be invited to this gigantic festival, where we can show the world the creative power and DNA of our Afro-Colombian people,” says one of the five artists who, together with Tostao, will represent the movement at the festival: Los Dioses de Ritmo (Luigy Boy, La Meaya) and Robbie Vida and Buay Press and DJ Zaa.
The exotic rhythm is a movement that emerges beyond a trend. It is behind a very powerful message for the youth of the region. Today these initiatives through the use of technological platforms can generate economic opportunities. The movement generates a positive impact in the lives of young people. Exotic dance and new trends are showing that there are more effective ways to win the battle against crime. In addition, the songs of the exotic movement speak of some realities and some exhibitions that invite to make visible the positive narratives of the region.
The “Exótico Pal Mundo” movement is an initiative supported by the Juntanza Etnica Program of USAID and ACDI/VOCA, which promotes pride in ethnicity and highlights the contributions of the Afro-Colombian people and indigenous peoples in building the nation, in its triple action: social, cultural and economic.
A meeting co-created with 10 partner organizational processes (PCN, CNOA, CONPA, CIMARRÓN, Afrodes, COCOMACIA, ONIC, OPIAC, CRIC and CTC) to strengthen the governance, autonomy, identity and development of ethnic peoples, from own and sustainable forms.