WOMAD 2025: Amaru Tribe

Naarm/Melbourne-based Amaru Tribe seamlessly fuses traditional Latin American music with contemporary electronic innovation, crafting a distinctive sound they call "Cumbia Oceanica." Their folktronic style blends the vibrant tones of charangos, Afro-Latin rhythms, urban beats, and powerful vocal harmonies, creating a dynamic and culturally rich sonic experience. 

Described as a vital addition to Latin America's burgeoning experimental electronic scene, Amaru Tribe's music represents the latest evolution in the continent's long tradition of musical hybridity, offering listeners a portal into a world where heritage and modernity intertwine.

They are, at heart, a 'Folktronic' act comprising music producer/singer/songwriter Oscar Jimenez (Colombia- Australia), Muralist/singer/songwriter Katherine Gailer (Colombia- Australia), percussionist Cristian Saavedra (Chile- Australia) and Sebastian Barahona (Chile-Australia).

The 'project', they describe as a playground to explore the vibrant intersection between "cultures, traditional music from Latin America and new contemporary sounds; Vibrating charangos, urban flow, electronic & afro-latin beats, and powerful vocal harmonies create a portal that gives birth to an unknown genre they called “Cumbia Oceanica”."

Their act was nominated for the 2020 Music Victoria Awards as Best Multicultural Act, and have  captivated audiences at major festivals including Womadelaide, Bluesfest, Queenscliff Festival and  international gigs such as SXSW, and events in Colombia, Thailand, and Taiwan.  

Amaru Tribe are currently preparing the release of their Debut Vinyl LP (and 2nd full length album) together with a National tour in late 2021 and early 2022.