The accordion arrived in Colombia in the 1800s, brought by European sailors and traders along the coast. Local musicians heard it and fell in love with its sound. They learned to play it in their own way, mixing it with the African rhythms of the caja drum and the Indigenous sound of the guacharaca. The result was something completely new and completely Colombian.
A great vallenato singer is also a storyteller and sometimes a poet. Famous vallenato singers are known for songs that describe a particular village, a heartfelt journey or a funny situation with a neighbour. Listeners hear their own lives in the words.
Every year, the Valledupar Accordion Festival takes place in the city where the music was born. Musicians come from across Colombia to compete in accordion playing. The festival has a special children's category, so young players as young as seven or eight can compete.
In 2015, UNESCO added vallenato to its list of 'Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding' - not because it is disappearing, but as a way of saying it deserves special care and respect. It joins a list that includes other musical traditions from around the world.