The 'Exotic' rhythm returns with a vengeance in a new album that pays tribute to other sounds from the Colombian Pacific.

Polen Records has just released 'Exótico Riddims Vol. 1' , an album that captures the results of a collective creative process centered around the exotic rhythm, a musical genre that emerged in Chocó and is increasingly present in the contemporary scene of the Colombian Pacific.
This is the second chapter of the compilation De Costa a Costa —a project that seeks to highlight and strengthen the music of the country's coastal regions—following the release of "La terapia del Palenque" by Estrellas del Caribe and "Esto es pa' gozá" by Son San. This time, the focus is on a sound proposal born from the collaborative work of various exotic rhythm producers.
A comprehensive training project The process behind the album included a series of music production and composition workshops led by Polen Records and El Pauer, with the participation of artists such as Benny Bajo and Oliver Williams (BusyTwist), along with a group of local scene leaders. The activities, held in Medellín, also included training in copyright law, finance, and digital security for the artists who participated in the compilation.
“I'd never done a workshop before, and it was a lot of fun and exciting. It was more of a collaborative process,” says Oliver Williams, who found it interesting to have so many creative minds and play the role of uniting their ideas and turning them into DJ-friendly music. “The whole process was important. For me, making music is about building relationships,” he says.

Exotic Rhythm Album Photo: Polen Records
Far from seeking to extract or transform the exotic rhythm, the project aimed to foster its growth from the region itself and with its own protagonists. According to DJ Kenall, one of the participants, this style emerged nearly 12 years ago in Quibdó, as a creative response to the demands of local dancers. DJs like DJ Prostituto began mixing samples with tambora and clarinet , demanding increasingly faster dance speeds. “The strongest genre in the department is the chirimía. We decided to create something urban that wouldn't lose our roots, and that's where the exotic rhythm was born,” he explains.

In the studio Marbin, Oliver, Naren (2) Photo: Polen Records
For Fabio Arboleda, alias Zathelite, who supported the artist selection process, projects like De Costa a Costa give the genre exposure and open avenues to reach new audiences: “Exotic music needs other listeners, other consumers, and this can generate a chain of circulation whose end is unknown. It's not an extractive process, but a collaborative one,” he says.
In the words of the musicians involved, the exotic rhythm also represents a form of resistance. For many young people in Chocó, it has been an alternative to violence , a way to transform their environment through art. It's not just a sound: it's a community in motion.
Exotic Riddims Vol. 1 Tracklist 2. This is ExotiKeo – DJ Kenall
5. Titon Punjabi – DJ Kenall
6. Exotic Bagpipes – Busy Twist / Marbin Dsua / Naren DJ / Dela King
7. Exotic Afro – Busy Twist / Marbin Dsua / Naren DJ / Dela King / JC Again
8. Otta – Busy Twist / Naren DJ
10. Natural Evolution – DJ Walaa
12. Twerking – DJ Kenall
14. Elevation – DJ Kenall
15. Perrheology – DJ Kenall
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