Coming from a musical family in a small town in the North of Colombia I was influenced by music from a very young age and spent many years playing with different bands and projects in Colombia. I arrived in England in 2003 and in one of those cold Autumns in 2005 I unexpectedly started playing and jamming with great musicians that were busking in the streets of London. To my surprise some of them were to become an inspiration for me to begin exploring and creating new musical styles. As a result of this exploration I spent the next few months creating and recording music which became Khantara and with it the first Khantara recording called “Satur” which had a mixture of Eastern rhythms and sounds with a wide range of voices that I developed through the years.

After recording “Satur”, I needed to meet musicians to make it possible to perform and then the first group of Khantara was formed by the begining of 2006.Camilo Mejura, Rodrigo Valle, Iara Martinez, Fernando Corredor , Andres Razinni (Fernando and Andres Still playing with Khantara) and two dancers Johana Marin and Lara, all from South America but living in London, with whom we put together a powerfully visual performance that rotated in different venues mostly in London.

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Khantara 2006

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Khantara 2009
After a successful time performing, a new flow began to form, involving more musical traditions and instruments from Colombia but still deeply touching the hearts of people with what we were doing.

By the beginning of 2008, I moved to Bristol and two new members had joined Khantara, Jorge Rodriguez (Andalucía) and Carlos Buitrago (Colombia). The new Khantara was now ready to spread its new vibes, with people dancing, clapping, singing and being touched by the grounding yet uplifting sounds of Khantara wherever we were going.

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khantara 2010

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Khantara 2011
This new sound of Khantara, brought Bouzukis, Mandocello, Traverse Flute, Cajon, but all mixed with the rootsy sound of traditional rhythms, instruments and dances (having 2 dancers joining the project) from Colombia, like Cumbia, Bullerengue, Mapale and the striking sounds of the Alegre Drum, Tambora, Gaitas (Colombian Flutes), Maracon, etc, creating a very exciting and powerful sound that has not only searched for entertainment but to spread a conscious message of change and help to those in need (focusing action on Indigenous communities and children in Colombia) in many acclaimed venues and festivals around the UK and Colombia. 

Hence, Khantara brings to Festivals and gigs, not only a rich performance full of colours and sounds but it can also offer traditional Colombian workshops in drumming, singing, dance and lots of fun through our cultural exchange!

Khantara has become the forefront of “Tambora Foundation For Children”, the foundation that I set up with my wife Helen, to benefit children in Colombia and to do cultural exchange for children in the UK.