How long does it take to master any musical instrument? Maybe a few years. Maybe a whole lifetime. And that’s if you’re talented and hard-working. Numerous music lovers cannot acquire those skills, regardless of how much they try. Yes, music is a serious science, as well as a sacred joy.
Despite that, there’s nothing that’s stopped music’s evolution. Neither the skill required to play nor the harsh conditions that existed while it was played stopped musical styles from travelling, being adopted, planting itself and growing roots. Jaime Ospina’s “The Vessel” is a celebration of the enduring nature of great art. It’s a reminder that, at the end of the day, it’s people who protect culture, not institutions.
More specifically, the 10-song collection found on “The Vessel” honours African music and, specifically, the many musical styles it helped develop in South America. Those styles, however, continue to travel. Most Western audiences will be familiar with them. And, just as important, these styles remain fluid, ever-changing.
If this all sounds rather complicated, don’t worry. The album’s a celebration, not just a history lesson. The album’s opener, “El Llamando,” establishes a groove that places you immediately in an out of time Latin American country, and allows the proficient musicians to weave in and out of the story.
“El Viento” is trance-inducing, while the melodies cry out like voices of a lost kingdom. And, “El Duende” feels like the soundtrack to an old folk tale that turns into reality only if the right set of notes are played by the right people.
It is the rhythmic elements that are most often mentioned when discussing Latin American music. And while those are mesmerizing, they’re also a cherished cultural export. It was, for the most part, the Africans who arrived in the Americas, and helped to build the modern republics, who transported these grooves to their new homes.
From Colombia’s cumbia to samba, rumba to maracatu, these sounds and dances spread across the continents, primarily the Central and Southern parts, blending with the local influences.
By the time that the entertainment industry turned music into a commodity, African-influenced Latin American music was still making its mark. Funk, jazz, reggae and, more recently, reggaeton all borrowed from the same influences.
Still, this is not all a tale of joy. Quite the opposite. What do you hear on songs like “Abandon,” the prayer-like “A Dios,” or the title track, “The Vessel?” Besides the excellent musicianship, you may hear traces of sadness, despair, and hardship. You wouldn’t be wrong. While this music enriched the culture of the Americas, it was, for the most part, the result of greed, theft, and cruelty.
In 2025, Latin-flavoured music is, once again, amply represented in global charts. But Jaime Ospina knows that this art goes much deeper than that. It was played in the streets and existed in people’s lives well before there was a radio to play, or a record company to sell it. And with the help of modern masters like Ospina, it’ll continue to exist well after those things are no longer.
