Through exquisite musicianship and challenging arrangements, the Colombian group Cimarrón pushes the frontiers of traditional música llanera, the music of the Orinioco plans. Here, Carlos Perez, Luis Moreno, and Carlos Rojas discuss the nation of ranch life and the music it inspires.

Percussive strings and maracas, dynamic vocal expression, and full-throttle pace earned the joropo of the Orinoco plains of Colombia and Venezuela its place among the most exciting regional musics of Latin America. On this, its second Smithsonian Folkways album, the GRAMMY-nominated and internationally acclaimed Colombian ensemble Cimarrón distills this excitement into a tightly arranged, even more explosive rendition of their tropical tradition. Through their powerful, moody, and unbridled sound, they live up to the meaning of their name Cimarrón—“wild bull.” This album is part of the Smithsonian Folkways Tradiciones/Traditions series of Latino music albums, produced with support by the Smithsonian Latino Center.