Catrin Finch and Cimarron play The Apex next month

Catrin Finch is a remarkable musician – one of the world’s leading harp players her career has featured solo performances with the world’s top orchestras and collaborations with leading world music artists.

Back in 2007, showing her versatility in different musical genres, she embarked on a tour of Wales with Colombian band Cimarrón, which they repeated in 2010.

Now, 13 years later, Catrin and Cimarrón (pictured above) are touring the UK again, and there’s a chance to see them perform at  The Apex, in Bury St Edmunds, later this month. 

Cimarrón perform Joropo music from the Plains of the Orinoco River, in Colombia, and Venezuela; wild, untamed music that preserves the spirit of freedom found in one of the world’s most untouched regions, rooted in a deep tradition defined by the heritage of African, Spanish and indigenous cultures.

Sometimes called música llanera (plains music), Joropo is characterised by a hard-driving dance rhythm led by the harp and supported by bandola llanera (a four-stringed pear-shaped guitar), the cuatro and acoustic bass. Despite having roots closely linked to Andalucian flamenco and fandango, this festive dance music was once prohibited by the Spanish authorities.

Fast paced and powerful, Cimarron’s music includes fierce instrumental virtuosity of strings and percussions, impetuous ethnic singing and amazing percussive dance.

The group earned a Grammy nomination in 2004 for their debut album “Sí, Soy Llanero”, and won Best Latin Album at the 2012 Independent Music Awards with “¡Cimarrón! Joropo music from the Plains of Colombia”.

Their 2019 album, “Orinoco” was nominated for Best Folk Album in the Latin Grammys and they won Best Group at the 2020 Songlines Awards. 

Financial Times recently named Cimarrón’s fourth studio album, “La Recia” (roughly translated as “The Tough Woman”), as one of their top 10 Best Folk and World Music Albums of the year.

Catrin Finch & Cimarron play at The Apex, on Friday, July 14. See www.theapex.co.uk or ring 01284 758000 for more details and to book tickets.