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Folk music

Cumbia is musical rhythm and dance most important and representative of the city, deeply rooted in the entire Caribbean region of Colombia. Other important musical rhythms are pulled, the jalao, puya, garabato, cumbión, chandé, porro, gaita, bullerengue, merecumbé, vallenato and pajarito. Other traditional dances are Congo, Mapalé, Son de Negro, Diablos, Gusano and Farotas. Also represented is the Marimondas, the Monocucos and the Toritos and those associated with the famous Carnaval de Barranquilla.

Famous salsa singer Joe Arroyo was an avid lover of the city and its carnival, as can be heard in songs such as "En Barranquilla Me Quedo" and "Carnaval" from the 1988 album Fuego En Mi Mente. He lived a large part of his life in Barranquilla and after his death, also in Barranquilla, was buried in the city's cemetery. A statue in his honor was inaugurated on December 17, 2011 known as "La Estatua del Joe Arroyo". On November 9, 2011, Shakira, born in Barranquilla, performed a cover of Arroyo's song "En Barranquilla Me Quedo" at the Mandalay Bay Events Center as a tribute to the singer when she was honoured as Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year.