Located in northern Colombia, in the department of Cordoba, Cerete is a town renowned for its rich cultural, musical, and agricultural heritage. Cerete is the birthplace of cumbiamba an unique music genre from the Colombian Caribbean, related to Cumbia.
History and cultural roots of Cerete, Colombia
Cerete was officially established in the 18th century, with its administrative structure formed in 1740 under the leadership of Juan de Torrezal Diaz Pimienta. However, long before colonial rule, Cerete was home to the Indigenous Zenu people, who inhabited the Sinu River valleys for nearly two thousand years. The Zenu engineered complex canal systems and raised fields, showcasing a deep and sustainable relationship with the land and water. Their cultural legacy lives on today through local traditions, including the artisanal craft of canaflecha weaving. Cerete sits in a fertile region nourished by the Sinu River, which has shaped its identity as a major agricultural hub. Historically central to the region’s economy, the cultivation of cotton—locally known as “white gold”—remains a symbol of Cerete’s prosperity and significance. Today, Cerete’s economy is anchored in cattle ranching.
Cerete’s Cumbiamba Festival
One of Cerete’s most important contributions to Colombian culture is the birth of the cumbiamba, a folkloric expression that combines music, dance, and tradition. While often confused with cumbia, the cumbiamba has its own distinctive traits. Cumbia is a more structured and widespread musical and dance form with origins in the Colombian Caribbean, whereas cumbiamba is a livelier, more spontaneous street-style performance, typically seen in parades and carnivals, where groups of dancers fill the streets to the rhythms of drums, gaitas (traditional flutes), and maracas. In Cerete, this tradition runs deep and is celebrated with passion.
@valepetro4 Hoy, Cereté se viste de fiesta para celebrar lo que somos: ¡Un pueblo que baila, que canta y que no olvida sus raíces! ¡Que viva la Cumbiamba! ¡Que viva Cereté! #cereté #còrdoba #córdobalotienetodo #ceretéestádemoda #ceretéencanta ♬ sonido original – Lex Estarita
Every year, the municipality proudly hosts the National Cumbiamba Festival, an event that gathers musicians, dancers, and performance groups from across the country. The festival not only showcases Cereté’s vibrant folklore but also plays a vital role in preserving a tradition that is an integral part of Colombia’s Caribbean identity. For several days, the streets come alive with color, music, joy, and movement, reflecting the cultural wealth of this remarkable corner of the country.
The 2025 edition of the National Cumbiamba Festival was held from April 10 to 13 in Cerete The event featured a diverse cultural agenda organized by the Sociocultural Foundation of the Cumbiamba, with support from the Cerete City Hall and the Cordoba Government. Highlights included performances by short-gaita music groups, dance and costume contests, original song presentations, and showcases by traditional music and dance schools. A notable guest was Gabriela Cuicchi, an acclaimed Argentine singer and researcher of Latin American rhythms, whose participation added an international dimension to the festivities. This festival is considered a pillar of cultural identity in Cerete, promoting local pride and cultural tourism.
Gastronomy with Middle Eastern flavors
In addition to its music and history, Cerete, Colombia, is also celebrated for its diverse gastronomy, significantly influenced by the Syrian-Lebanese migration that arrived in the region in the late 19th century. These immigrant communities brought with them culinary traditions, ingredients, and recipes that blended with local Caribbean products to create a distinct and flavorful cuisine.
In Cerete, it is common to find dishes such as kibbeh (a type of wheat and meat croquette), almond rice, stuffed grape leaves, and preparations using eggplants and chickpeas, all staples of Middle Eastern cuisine. These are harmoniously fused with regional ingredients like plantains, ñame (yam), and queso costeño (a salty coastal cheese), resulting in a culinary offering that delights both locals and visitors.
One of the municipality’s most iconic dishes is mote de queso con berenjena—a delicious twist on the traditional mote de queso, a thick and creamy soup made from ñame and coastal cheese. In Cerete, the addition of eggplant—a less common ingredient in traditional Caribbean cooking but a staple in the Arab-influenced households of the region—gives the dish a distinctive character.
The typical recipe begins with a sofrito of onions, garlic, sweet peppers, and tomatoes, to which peeled and boiled ñame is added and cooked until it breaks down into a creamy base. Next, roasted or sautéed eggplant pieces are incorporated, giving the dish a slightly smoky flavor and a soft texture that contrasts beautifully with the creaminess of the ñame. Finally, generous amounts of queso costeño are added. This salty, firm cheese partially melts into the mixture, creating a flavorful, comforting soup that is a perfect representation of Cereté’s cultural identity.
@ajoysazon MOTE DE QUESO CON BERENJENA* Ñame* Berenjena* Queso* Suero o zumo de coco* Cebolla roja* Ajo* Puerro * SalCocinamos el ñame y vamos haciendo