Makondo ft. Patrizia Gambini

The Living Sound of Colombia’s Caribbean, Inspired by García Márquez

Step into the vibrant musical world of Colombia’s Caribbean coast as Makondo bring their spellbinding rhythms and storytelling to Toulouse Lautrec Jazz Club. Inspired by the magical realism of Gabriel García Márquez’s Macondo, the ensemble transforms traditional music into living narrative, where myth, memory and melody intertwine.

For this special performance, Makondo are joined by special guest poet and writer Patrizia Gambini, whose poetic sensibility and expressive voice add a unique new dimension to the group’s rich sound. Together they create an immersive evening where music becomes storytelling and rhythm becomes memory.

Expect infectious grooves, hypnotic percussion and evocative melodies in a performance that captures the warmth, colour and spirit of Colombia’s Caribbean culture.

About Patrizia Gambini

Patrizia Gambini was born in Porto San Giorgio and lives in Fermo, Italy. A cosmopolitan spirit at heart, she holds a degree in Modern Literature from the University of Macerata and teaches at the “Carducci–Galilei” Technical Institute in Fermo.

Alongside her academic career, Patrizia is an accomplished poet and performer, collaborating with the theatre company Delle Nuvole and bringing literary expression into her artistic work. Poetry has long been her most faithful companion, and her debut poetry collection reflects a deep belief in love as one of life’s most powerful driving forces.

Her work is guided by the idea that life is most fully lived when “reason submits to talent,” echoing the words of her enduring literary compass, Dante Alighieri. Patrizia has also delivered lectures and conferences on Dante and The Divine Comedy, combining scholarship with creative expression.

About Makondo

Formed on Colombia’s Caribbean coast in the late 1990s, Makondo reimagines the region’s traditional rhythms through the haunting tones of Gaitas and Millo flutes, the driving pulse of Tambora, Alegre, and Llamador drums, and the joyful beats of Cumbia, Porro, Gaita, Puya, Bullerengue, and Mapalé.

Rooted in Afro-Colombian and Indigenous heritage, their sound blends poetry, rhythm, and emotion, Spanish vocals weaving through earthy percussion and wind to create a music that feels both ancestral and contemporary. Named after Macondo, the mythical town in García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude, Makondo honours the living folklore of Colombia’s coastal culture.

Having performed at major festivals across Colombia and abroad, the group continues to share the spirit of the Caribbean through performances, workshops, and collaborations, keeping alive the vibrant traditions that inspire their timeless sound.

Band Line-Up

Patrizia Gambini – Vocals (special guest)
Nickolai Rodriguez – Alegre Drum, Backing Vocals
Rafael (Beto) Sarmiento – Musical Director, Gaita Hembra, Gaita Corta, Caña de Millo, Maracas
Nataly Cotes – Lead Vocals
Sebastian Rodriguez – Clarinet, Saxophones, Backing Vocals
Luis Moncada – Clarinet, Saxophones, Maracas, Backing Vocals
Nickolas Rodriguez – Llamador Drum, Backing Vocals
Gregorio Merchan – Tambora Drum, Backing Vocals