Eduardo Martínez Arvilla
Afro-Colombian Drumming
Eduardo Martínez Arvilla was born in Cartagena, Colombia, a city rich with African, Spanish, and aboriginal cultures and traditions. His studies in Afro-Colombian drumming began as a young boy, immersed in his city’s oral history and music. He has learned drumming and gaita from some of the most respected masters of the tradition, including Paulino Salgado (aka, Batata III) and Encarnación Tovar (aka, El Diablo), two of the most famous Afro-Colombian drummers who play, make, and repair drums. After high school, Eduardo studied music at the Institute of Fine Arts in Cartagena, where he continued to practice and refine his skills in Afro-Colombian music performance. Following school, he became a workshop leader, and traveled around the world representing his country and culture. Additionally, he has toured with many groups, including Totó La Momposina and Petrona Martínez.
Apprenticeship Program
2025
Tamara Martínez Borre will study Afro-Colombian percussion traditions through a hands-on apprenticeship under the mentorship of her father, Eduardo Martínez Arvilla. This apprenticeship focuses on rhythms from Colombia’s Caribbean coast, including cumbia, puya, chalupa, mapalé, tambora, bullerengue, and zambapalo. Training will explore the construction and regional variations of traditional instruments, their organology, playing techniques, and “sound codes,” alongside the myths and legends that shape the cultural identity of the region. Through this intergenerational transmission, the apprentice will develop technical mastery and cultural understanding, preparing both mentor and apprentice to share these traditions with communities in Los Angeles and beyond.
Colombia’s Caribbean coast is host to a plethora of rhythms and musical styles. Many fall under the umbrella of cumbia, which is but one of a number of styles. In this region, the most commonly used instruments are the alegre, llamador, tambora, maracón, guacho, and gaita. Together, they represent the fusion of African musical elements (alegre, llamador, and tambora), with those of indigenous cultures (maracón, guacho, and gaita).
2014, 2016
Eduardo was a master artist in ACTA’s Apprenticeship Program in 2016 and 2014, with apprentice Alberto López. The apprenticeships focused on dozens of rhythms and musical styles from the Caribbean coast of Colombia, such as cumbia, puya, chalupa, mapalé, tambora, bullerengue, and zambapalo. Many of these traditional styles are on the verge of extinction as older generations are passing on and younger musicians no longer play them.
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