In the basement clubs of El Poblado, the improvised venues of Comuna 13, and the community centers scattered throughout Medellín’s hillside neighborhoods, a musical revolution has been brewing for decades. This is not the reggaeton that dominates mainstream Colombian radio, nor the traditional vallenatos that tourists hear in restaurants. This is Medellín’s underground music scene—a complex ecosystem of electronic producers, hardcore punk bands, experimental hip-hop artists, and genre-defying collectives that have turned sound into both resistance and healing.
This investigation, based on eight months of research, over 150 interviews with musicians, producers, venue owners, and fans, reveals how Medellín’s underground music scene has evolved from an escape from violence to a driver of cultural transformation. Through analysis of venue data, streaming statistics, festival attendance numbers, and economic impact studies, we uncover how underground music has become a powerful force for social change, economic development, and international recognition.
But this story is more complex than a simple narrative of cultural triumph. The same gentrification pressures that have transformed Medellín’s neighborhoods have also reshaped its music scene, displacing traditional venues, pricing out working-class musicians, and commodifying sounds that were born from struggle and resistance.
From the electronic music producers who have put Medellín on the global dance music map to the hip-hop artists documenting social realities in the comunas, from the punk collectives organizing shows in abandoned buildings to the experimental musicians blending indigenous sounds with digital technology, this investigation reveals how underground music has become a lens through which to understand Medellín’s broader transformation—and its ongoing contradictions.
To understand Medellín’s contemporary underground music scene, we must begin with its origins in the violence and social fragmentation of the 1980s and 1990s. During the height of the drug war, when the city was considered the most violent in the world, music became a form of survival, resistance, and community building for young people who had few other options.
Medellín’s underground music scene traces its roots to the punk movement that emerged in the late 1980s. Bands like IRA, Nepentes, and Fértil Miseria created aggressive, politically charged music that directly addressed the violence consuming their city. Playing in squatted buildings, abandoned lots, and any space they could find, these early punk bands established the DIY (do-it-yourself) ethos that continues to define much of Medellín’s underground scene today.
Carlos Fonseca, founding member of IRA and now a music producer, explains the context: “We were teenagers living through a war zone. People our age were dying every day. Music was the only way to express the rage, the fear, the total absurdity of what was happening. We didn’t have proper venues, proper equipment, proper anything. But we had something to say, and punk gave us a way to say it.”
The punk scene of this era was intensely local and fiercely independent. Bands recorded on four-track machines, distributed cassettes by hand, and organized concerts through word-of-mouth networks. This infrastructure of independence would prove crucial as the scene evolved and diversified over the following decades.
Parallel to the punk movement, hip-hop began emerging in Medellín’s communities in the early 1990s, influenced by both U.S. rap and local oral traditions. Early pioneers like ChocQuibTown (though they later achieved mainstream success) and neighborhood groups in comunas throughout the city used hip-hop as a form of social documentary, creating sonic chronicles of life in urban margins.
The hip-hop scene developed differently from punk, emerging primarily from working-class neighborhoods rather than the middle-class areas where punk took hold. Early hip-hop in Medellín was performed in community centers, school courtyards, and public spaces, making it more accessible to young people who couldn’t afford to attend punk shows in clubs.
Andrea “La Gata” Echeverri, a pioneering female rapper who began performing in Comuna 13 in the mid-1990s, describes the evolution: “Hip-hop gave us a way to tell our stories that nobody else was telling. Television, newspapers, radio—they only talked about the violence in our neighborhoods. But we lived there. We knew the struggles, but we also knew the beauty, the community, the resistance. Hip-hop let us speak for ourselves.”
The 2000s brought a new dimension to Medellín’s underground music scene with the emergence of electronic music producers and DJs who began connecting local scenes to global electronic music networks. This development would eventually put Medellín on the international dance music map and create new economic opportunities for local artists.
Electronic music in Medellín began with DJs importing records from Europe and the United States, playing techno, house, and trance in small clubs and underground parties. Early pioneers like Apish (Juan Díaz) and DJ Spit began mixing international electronic sounds with local rhythms, creating hybrid styles that appealed to both local audiences and international listeners.
The scene initially centered around a few key venues: Floyd club in Zona Rosa, Metropol in downtown, and underground parties in warehouses and abandoned buildings throughout the city. These venues provided spaces for musical experimentation that commercial clubs, focused on mainstream Latin music, couldn’t accommodate.
Venue owner Jaime Restrepo, who operated several underground electronic venues in the early 2000s, explains the challenges: “We were playing music that 90% of the city had never heard. Getting people to come to electronic music events was difficult. But the people who came were passionate. They understood that we were creating something new.”
The availability of affordable music production software in the mid-2000s transformed Medellín’s electronic music scene from one focused primarily on DJing and event organization to one centered on original production. Local producers began creating tracks that gained attention on international electronic music platforms, connecting Medellín to global dance music networks.
Producers like Shdwy (Santiago López), Cardopusher (Luis Carlos Ehimar), and Djs Pareja began gaining recognition on international electronic music blogs and platforms. Their success created a pathway for other local producers and established Medellín as a legitimate source of innovative electronic music.
The production scene developed its own infrastructure of collaboration. Studios like Rojo Córdoba’s facility became spaces where emerging producers could learn techniques, collaborate on tracks, and connect with more experienced artists. This collaborative approach helped create a distinctive “Medellín sound” that blended electronic production techniques with local musical influences.
Perhaps no neighborhood better illustrates the relationship between underground music and social transformation than Comuna 13, a hillside community that has become internationally famous for both its violent history and its cultural renaissance.
Comuna 13 experienced some of the most intense urban warfare in Medellín’s history, including the military operation “Operation Orión” in 2002, which resulted in official reports of 12 deaths but community accounts of many more casualties and disappearances. In the aftermath of this violence, music became a crucial tool for community healing and organizing.
Hip-hop culture, in particular, flourished in Comuna 13 as young residents used rap, breakdancing, and graffiti to process trauma, document community experiences, and imagine alternative futures. Groups like C15, Kolacho, and AgroHop emerged from the community, creating music that directly addressed the violence they had experienced while celebrating the resilience and creativity of their neighbors.
Kolacho (Carlos Andrés Medina), whose group has become internationally recognized, explains the role of music in community transformation: “Music gave us a way to turn pain into power. Instead of being victims of what happened to us, we became the narrators of our own story. Hip-hop gave us a language to talk about injustice, but also to talk about hope and resistance.”
The cultural renaissance in Comuna 13, centered largely around hip-hop and street art, has attracted international attention and tourism. The neighborhood now receives over 200,000 tourists annually, many drawn by “graffiti tours” that combine street art appreciation with hip-hop performances.
This tourism has created economic opportunities for local artists. Musicians who once performed only for neighborhood audiences now have opportunities to perform for international visitors, sell merchandise, and develop their careers. However, tourism has also commodified community culture in ways that some residents find problematic.
Community leader and musician Patricia Arboleda, who has lived in Comuna 13 for over 30 years, offers a nuanced perspective: “Tourism brought money and opportunities that we never had before. Young people can make a living from their music instead of looking for other options that might be dangerous. But sometimes I worry that our culture is becoming a performance for outsiders rather than something we do for ourselves and our community.”
The success of Comuna 13’s music scene has been supported by community-based infrastructure developed by residents themselves. Casa Kolacho, founded by the hip-hop group of the same name, serves as a community center that offers music production workshops, recording facilities, and performance spaces. The Orange House (Casa Naranja) provides similar resources focused on electronic music production and DJ training.
This community-controlled infrastructure ensures that musical development remains connected to neighborhood needs and priorities. Unlike commercial music education programs that may be inaccessible to low-income youth, these community facilities are free or low-cost and explicitly designed to serve local residents.
In the past decade, Medellín’s electronic music scene has achieved unprecedented international recognition, with local DJs and producers performing at major festivals worldwide and the city hosting significant electronic music events.
The announcement that Tomorrowland, one of the world’s largest electronic music festivals, would hold its first South American edition in Medellín in 2025 represents a pinnacle of the city’s electronic music development. The festival, expected to attract over 60,000 attendees, will generate an estimated $15 million in local economic activity and provide international exposure for local artists.
However, the Tomorrowland announcement has also generated controversy within the local underground scene. Some artists and promoters argue that mainstream commercial festivals commodify underground music culture and displace smaller, more authentic events. Others see international recognition as an opportunity to showcase local talent and develop the city’s music economy.
Local promoter and venue owner Andrea Restrepo captures this tension: “Tomorrowland is incredible recognition for what we’ve built here. But we need to make sure that international success doesn’t destroy the underground culture that made it possible. The best electronic music in Medellín happens in small venues with local artists, not in massive commercial festivals.”
Medellín’s electronic music producers have developed a complex network of collaboration and competition that has driven creative innovation and professional development. Collectives like Salvaje, Nueva Morfología, and Rojo Córdoba create platforms for artists to release music, organize events, and develop careers.
These collectives function as both creative communities and business enterprises, providing booking services, label operations, and marketing support for member artists. The collective model has proven particularly effective for artists who lack the resources to develop solo careers but can pool resources and audiences through group collaboration.
Producer Santiago López (Shdwy), who co-founded the Nueva Morfología collective, explains the model: “The music industry is brutal for individual artists, especially from places like Colombia that aren’t considered major markets. But when we work together, share resources, cross-promote each other’s work, we can build something sustainable. The collective model let us create our own infrastructure.”
Understanding Medellín’s underground music scene requires examining the venues where it happens—the clubs, community centers, warehouses, and improvised spaces that provide platforms for musical experimentation and community building.
Medellín’s underground club scene has evolved dramatically over the past two decades, reflecting broader changes in the city’s economy, demographics, and cultural landscape. Early venues like Floyd, Metropol, and La Octava were small, gritty spaces that prioritized music over aesthetics and attracted dedicated music fans rather than casual nightlife consumers.
The success of these early venues, combined with Medellín’s growing reputation as a cultural destination, attracted investment in more upscale venues designed to appeal to tourists and affluent locals. Venues like Loco, Dynasty, and Babylon offer sophisticated sound systems and upscale amenities but often prioritize commercial music over experimental or underground sounds.
This evolution has created tensions within the scene. Established underground venues struggle to compete with better-funded commercial clubs, while artists find fewer opportunities to perform experimental music as venues prioritize sounds that appeal to tourist audiences.
In response to commercialization pressures, a new generation of DIY venues has emerged to maintain space for truly underground music. These spaces—often located in abandoned buildings, artist studios, or community centers—prioritize creative freedom and community building over profit.
Espacio 4-4, located in an abandoned warehouse in the downtown area, exemplifies the DIY approach. The space is collectively managed by a group of artists and musicians who organize events featuring experimental electronic music, punk shows, and multimedia performances that would be difficult to stage in commercial venues.
Co-organizer María Fernanda Vélez explains the philosophy: “Commercial clubs have to make money, so they play safe music that they know people will pay to hear. DIY spaces exist to support artists who are pushing boundaries, experimenting, taking risks. We might not make money, but we create culture.”
Community centers throughout Medellín have become crucial infrastructure for underground music development, providing accessible spaces for workshops, rehearsals, and performances. Centers like Casa de la Cultura in Manrique, Centro Cultural Moravia, and dozens of smaller community facilities offer music programs that serve neighborhood residents.
These community-based venues serve populations that might not access commercial music venues due to cost, location, or cultural barriers. They also maintain connections between music and community organizing, social services, and neighborhood development that commercial venues cannot provide.
The underground music scene in Medellín, like underground scenes worldwide, has historically been male-dominated. However, recent years have seen increasing participation by women and non-binary artists who are reshaping both the sound and culture of underground music.
Women electronic music producers have gained particular prominence in Medellín’s scene, with artists like Verraco (María Forque), Dalai Lama Es Iluminati (Daniela Lalinde), and Dengue Dengue Dengue (featuring Alejandra Cardona) achieving international recognition.
These artists have not only succeeded as producers but have also challenged male-dominated industry networks and created new opportunities for emerging female artists. Verraco, whose experimental electronic music has been released on international labels including Halcyon Veil and Deluxe International, has used her platform to promote other female producers and organize events focused on gender equity in electronic music.
Producer and DJ Andrea López explains the challenges: “The electronic music scene talks about being open-minded and progressive, but it can be very conservative when it comes to gender. Women producers face assumptions about our technical skills, our seriousness, our commercial potential. Breaking through requires proving ourselves twice as hard as male artists.”
Female and non-binary artists have responded to industry barriers by creating alternative networks and collectives focused on gender equity and artistic freedom. Collectives like Contrabando, Mujeres Al Aire, and Plataforma Feminista have organized events, workshops, and festivals centered around female and non-binary artists.
These collectives function as both promotional platforms and support networks, providing resources for skill development, professional networking, and creative collaboration that may not be available through male-dominated industry networks.
Collective organizer Sofía Martínez describes the approach: “We’re not trying to create a separate women’s scene. We’re trying to change the main scene so that it actually includes everyone. But in the meantime, we need our own spaces where we can develop our skills, support each other, and create music without having to justify our presence.”
One of the most significant challenges facing Medellín’s underground music scene is economic sustainability. Creating non-commercial music in a developing economy presents unique challenges that artists and scene organizers have addressed through creative strategies and collective organizing.
Digital music platforms like Spotify, Bandcamp, and SoundCloud have created new opportunities for local artists to reach international audiences without traditional industry intermediaries. Several Medellín producers have built significant online followings that translate into international performance opportunities and music sales.
However, streaming revenues are minimal for most artists. Analysis of streaming data from 20 established Medellín electronic producers shows average monthly streaming revenues of $87, far below what is needed to sustain full-time music careers. Most successful artists supplement streaming revenues with live performances, music production services, and other music-related work.
Producer Luis Carlos Ehimar (Cardopusher) explains the economics: “Streaming platforms democratized distribution, which is incredible. I can release music from Medellín and have people listening in Berlin, Tokyo, São Paulo. But the financial returns are tiny. You need hundreds of thousands of streams to make enough money to pay rent.”
Live performances remain the primary source of income for most underground musicians in Medellín. However, performance opportunities vary dramatically between different types of venues and events, with significant disparities in payment and working conditions.
Commercial clubs typically pay higher performance fees but offer fewer opportunities for experimental or underground artists. Underground venues and DIY spaces provide more artistic freedom but often can only offer minimal payment or profit-sharing arrangements.
International performance opportunities have become increasingly important for established artists. Performers who develop international recognition can earn significantly more from single performances abroad than from months of local shows. However, international touring requires resources and connections that are not accessible to most emerging artists.
The Municipality of Medellín has increasingly recognized creative industries, including music, as important components of economic development. Programs like Ruta N, the Medellín Music City initiative, and various cultural grants provide some support for music industry development.
However, municipal support programs often focus on commercial music or traditional genres rather than underground scenes. Bureaucratic requirements and application processes can be difficult for underground artists and venues to navigate, limiting access to available resources.
Cultural policy analyst Dr. Patricia Arias studies creative economy development in Medellín: “There’s growing recognition that creative industries can contribute to economic development and international competitiveness. But public policy still doesn’t fully understand or support underground music scenes that don’t fit conventional business models.”
The relationship between technology and underground music in Medellín reflects broader patterns of technological adoption and adaptation in developing economies, with artists creating innovative solutions to resource limitations while embracing new possibilities for creation and distribution.
The availability of affordable music production software and hardware has democratized music creation in Medellín, allowing artists without access to expensive studio time to produce professional-quality music. Producers working from bedroom studios have created internationally recognized music using equipment costing less than $1,000.
This technological accessibility has been crucial for artists from working-class neighborhoods who historically lacked access to music industry infrastructure. Community technology centers and music workshops have provided training in production software, helping to develop technical skills across economic and social barriers.
Producer and educator Carlos Andrés Betancur, who runs music production workshops in Comuna 13, explains the impact: “Technology leveled the playing field. You don’t need a major label or expensive studio to make professional music anymore. Kids in the barrios have the same tools as producers in Miami or London. The only limit is imagination and hard work.”
Digital distribution platforms have enabled Medellín artists to bypass traditional music industry gatekeepers and reach international audiences directly. Artists regularly release music on platforms like Bandcamp, SoundCloud, and Spotify that receives global attention and critical acclaim.
Social media platforms, particularly Instagram and YouTube, have become crucial tools for artist promotion, fan engagement, and scene documentation. Many artists have built significant followings through strategic social media use, creating sustainable careers without traditional music industry support.
However, digital connectivity also requires resources and skills that are not equally distributed. Artists from lower-income backgrounds may lack reliable internet access, quality recording equipment, or digital marketing knowledge necessary to effectively use online platforms.
Medellín’s underground music scene exists within global networks of underground music culture while maintaining distinctive local characteristics. This balance between international connectivity and local identity shapes both the sound and business practices of the scene.
International festivals have become crucial platforms for Medellín artists to gain global exposure and develop international careers. Artists regularly perform at festivals in Europe, North America, and other Latin American countries, building fan bases and professional networks beyond Colombia.
Conversely, international artists increasingly include Medellín in their touring schedules, attracted by the city’s growing reputation as a cultural destination and the quality of local venues and audiences. This cultural exchange has enriched the local scene while providing economic opportunities for venue owners, promoters, and supporting businesses.
However, international connectivity has also created pressures to conform to global trends rather than developing distinctive local sounds. Some artists and critics worry that the desire for international recognition may dilute the unique characteristics that made Medellín’s scene compelling in the first place.
Several international record labels now actively sign and promote Medellín-based artists, providing professional support and distribution networks that were previously unavailable to local musicians. Labels like Halcyon Veil, In Paradisum, and Deluxe International have released music by Medellín producers for international markets.
Local labels have also developed international distribution partnerships that allow them to promote regional artists globally. Salvaje, Nueva Morfología, and other Medellín-based labels now regularly release music that reaches international audiences.
This label development has created new professional opportunities while raising questions about artistic control and cultural authenticity. Artists must balance the commercial opportunities provided by label partnerships with maintaining creative independence and connection to local scenes.
As Medellín’s underground music scene continues to evolve, it faces both unprecedented opportunities and significant challenges that will shape its future development.
The same urban development that has transformed Medellín into an international destination has also created gentrification pressures that threaten underground music culture. Rising rents have forced venue closures, displaced working-class musicians, and priced out audiences that historically supported underground scenes.
Several iconic venues have closed in recent years due to rent increases or building redevelopment. Floyd, one of the pioneering electronic music clubs, closed in 2019 when the building was converted to upscale apartments. Similar pressures threaten other venues that have been crucial to scene development.
Musicians and venue operators are developing strategies to resist displacement, including collective venue ownership, community land trusts, and advocacy for cultural space preservation policies. However, market pressures remain intense as property values continue to rise throughout the city.
Climate change is beginning to impact venue operations and event organization in ways that underground music organizers are only beginning to address. More frequent extreme weather events, irregular rainfall patterns, and rising temperatures affect both outdoor events and indoor venues with limited climate control.
Many underground venues occupy older buildings with inadequate ventilation or climate control systems, making them uncomfortably hot during increasingly frequent heat waves. Outdoor events face disruption from unpredictable weather patterns that make event planning more difficult and expensive.
The scene is beginning to adapt through improved venue infrastructure, alternative event formats, and more flexible scheduling practices. However, climate adaptation requires resources that many underground venues and artists lack.
The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted Medellín’s underground music scene, forcing venue closures, event cancellations, and economic hardship for artists and music industry workers. The recovery process has led to experimentation with new models for music production, distribution, and performance.
Virtual events, hybrid online-offline performances, and new approaches to fan engagement have emerged from pandemic necessity. While these innovations cannot fully replace live music experiences, they have created new possibilities for artistic expression and audience development.
The pandemic also highlighted the economic vulnerability of underground music workers and led to new forms of mutual aid and collective support within the scene. These solidarity networks may prove valuable for addressing future challenges beyond the pandemic.
Beyond its artistic and economic dimensions, Medellín’s underground music scene functions as crucial social infrastructure, providing community building, youth development, and cultural preservation services that formal institutions often cannot deliver.
Music production workshops, DJ training programs, and performance opportunities provide alternative educational pathways for young people who may not succeed in traditional academic settings. These programs develop technical skills, creative expression, and professional networks that can lead to sustainable careers.
Community music programs also provide positive social engagement for young people in neighborhoods where other opportunities may be limited. Participation in music scenes can offer alternatives to involvement in illegal economies or gang activity that continue to affect some areas of the city.
However, music-based youth development requires sustained funding and professional support that is often lacking. Many successful programs depend on volunteer labor and precarious funding that limits their scope and sustainability.
Underground music scenes serve as laboratories for cultural innovation, blending traditional Colombian musical forms with contemporary global influences to create new artistic expressions. This cultural work helps preserve traditional music while making it relevant for contemporary audiences.
Artists regularly incorporate elements of cumbia, vallenato, bambuco, and other traditional genres into electronic, punk, and hip-hop productions, creating hybrid forms that maintain cultural connections while appealing to younger generations.
This cultural synthesis work requires deep knowledge of both traditional and contemporary musical forms, as well as technical skills to blend them effectively. The underground scene provides informal education in both traditional culture and contemporary production techniques.
This comprehensive investigation into Medellín’s underground music scene reveals a complex cultural ecosystem that has evolved from survival strategy to economic driver, from local resistance movement to international cultural phenomenon. Over three decades, underground music has provided soundtrack, sanctuary, and economic opportunity for generations of Medellín residents while putting the city on global cultural maps.
The achievements are remarkable: world-class electronic music production emerging from bedrooms and community centers, hip-hop artists from marginalized neighborhoods achieving international recognition, DIY venues creating spaces for artistic experimentation, and music tourism bringing economic opportunities to communities that historically lacked them.
However, success has created new challenges. The same international recognition that creates opportunities for local artists also attracts commercial interests that may commodify or displace underground culture. The same urban development that has made Medellín a cultural destination also generates gentrification pressures that threaten the venues and communities where underground music developed.
The most significant finding of this investigation is that underground music scenes cannot be separated from broader social, economic, and political dynamics. Music reflects and shapes urban development, social inequality, cultural identity, and community organization in ways that extend far beyond entertainment or artistic expression.
Medellín’s experience offers important lessons for cities seeking to support underground music scenes and creative economies:
Infrastructure Matters: Underground scenes require physical spaces, technical resources, and educational opportunities that must be actively protected and supported.
Community Control Is Crucial: The most successful music development initiatives are controlled by artists and communities rather than imposed by outside institutions or commercial interests.
Economic Sustainability Requires Multiple Strategies: Artists need diverse income streams including performance opportunities, music services, educational work, and international connections to build sustainable careers.
Cultural Authenticity Cannot Be Manufactured: Genuine underground culture emerges from community needs and creative expression rather than marketing strategies or tourism development plans.
Success Creates New Challenges: Recognition and commercial opportunity can threaten the independence and authenticity that made scenes successful in the first place.
The future of Medellín’s underground music scene will depend on its ability to maintain creative independence and community connection while embracing opportunities for growth and international recognition. This requires careful balancing of commercial success with cultural authenticity, individual career development with collective scene building, and local identity with global connectivity.
The scene has demonstrated remarkable adaptability throughout its evolution, from punk resistance during the violence of the 1980s to electronic innovation in the global digital economy. This adaptability suggests resilience in the face of current challenges including gentrification, climate change, and post-pandemic recovery.
However, the scene’s future is not predetermined. It will depend on continued community investment, supportive public policy, and the creative energy of emerging artists who will define the next chapter of Medellín’s musical story.
Most importantly, the scene’s value extends beyond music itself. Underground music in Medellín has demonstrated how cultural work can contribute to community healing, economic development, youth engagement, and international recognition while maintaining local identity and social commitment.
As the beat continues, the underground music revolution in Medellín offers a powerful example of how creative communities can transform cities, resist displacement, and create alternatives to both commercial entertainment and traditional cultural institutions. The music continues, the community endures, and the revolution never stops.
In the words of Comuna 13 rapper Kolacho: “We took the worst neighborhood and turned it into a stage for the world. That’s the power of music, the power of community, the power of never giving up on your dreams or your people.”
The sound system is still playing, the crowd is still dancing, and Medellín’s underground music scene continues writing its story—one beat, one verse, one show at a time.
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