Picó sound systems: The beating heart of Colombian bass culture is on its way to global impact

While picós quickly became central to the cultural identity of local communities in the barrio, for much of their history the sound systems and the musical genres closely linked to picó culture have faced crackdowns and opposition from the politicians and authorities in Colombia – who associated the scene with criminality and social problems.

Restrictions were introduced to try and reduce the number of street parties and, as recently as 2015, politicians in Cartagena’s district council were campaigning to ban champeta dancing in public places claiming that the music incited teenage pregnancy.

Despite repeated attempts to suppress picó culture, it has continued to grow and today in the barrios of towns and cities on Colombia’s Caribbean coast it is almost inescapable. During weekdays there are brightly-painted picós on almost every street, playing out of corner shops, pool halls, and people’s houses. At the weekend, giant picó sound systems are wheeled out onto the streets, sometimes playing day and night in famous music-loving barrios like Pescaito in Santa Marta.

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Fans of bass-heavy music congregate at street parties as well as piling into informal bars known as “patios” where picoteros participate in sound clashes, each taking turns to try and outdo each other by unleashing a sonic bombardment on the audience. Colombia’s coastal barrios are full of stories of iconic exclusivos, legendary soundclashes, and heroic picoteros.

In bars, drinkers will often tell you how their father or uncle spent hundreds of dollars travelling to Africa in the ’70s in pursuit of rare vinyl – so they could defeat their rivals in sound clashes.

In cafés, grandmothers will tell you about how the legendary picotero Arnulfo Alvarez was murdered by a sleep-deprived neighbour because he refused to stop blasting tunes from his sound system outside his house day and night. Or how, in the ’80s, traditionalists used to protest against picós that used sampling keyboards by bringing signs that said “No piano!” to parties.

Taxi drivers will regale you with stories about the tussle for dominance between El Dragon and El Gran Lobo in Barranquilla in the early 2000s. Children in the street will tell you about the meteoric rise of El Super Kike.