These are the people that make this possible:

Ellen Speiser - Project Producer, Cinematographer, Editor

Ellen Speiser previously completed a film entitled "Runa: Guardians of the Forest", centered on an Amazonian indigenous group in Ecuador, their ecological knowledge, and response to development pressures. She served as producer, director, and co-editor on this film, which is currently in distribution with University of California Extension Center for Media and Independent Learning. In addition, she has worked as a script consultant, and has taught video production to high school students. She studied anthropology, film, and visual anthropology at SFSU.

Ellen Speiser

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Julio León - Co-Producer

Julio Lešn, a native of Colombia, spent many years there studying ballet with Priscilla Welton, and dancing in the folkloric performance group of Delia Zapata. He had the privilege of knowing Tošo Fernšndez and the Gaiteros of San Jacinto as personal friends. He received a teaching credential at SFSU in the areas of Dance and Spanish, an MA in Education, and is currently teaching Spanish. He maintains ongoing contact with the Gaiteros, and with folklorists in Colombia.

Julio León

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Delia Zapata Olivella - Consultant

Delia Zapata Olivella, of Colombia, was a well-known folklorist, dancer, and professor, and the director of the folkloric dance company, the Ballet Folklorico de Delia Zapata Olivella. She worked extensively with the Gaiteros of San Jacinto, and was an authority on the music and dance of the Caribbean and Pacific coasts of Colombia. She and her brother, Manuel Zapata Olivella, were pioneers in bringing the folklore of the coasts to urban audiences, not only in Colombia, but internationally. Delia Zapata Olivella received international recognition for her research and performance work. In addition, she taught at the Universidad Nacional of Colombia, and the Universidad Central, in Bogotš, Colombia. She was an important source of information on the music and its history for this film.

Delia Zapata Olivella died on May 24th, 2001, in Bogota, after contracting an illness in Africa, while doing research on the African origins of Colombian folklore. She will be greatly missed.

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Vicente Franco - Editor

Vicente Franco has been a film and television producer/director/editor since 1982. He worked with the Spanish television station, Univision, until 1989. As an independent filmmaker, he has produced, directed, shot and/or edited several documentaries:

Erwin Goggel - Camera

Erwin Goggel stands as one of the pioneers of Colombian cinematography. Mr.Goggel's work as producer, director, and photographer has been recognized worldwide. Among his most notable works are:

	"Lumbalu, baile de muerto", (1992) a documentary directed by Mr. Goggel that earned great reviews at the Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano (Latin American International New Film Festival).
	"La Vendedora de Rosas" (1998), a film that was nominated for a Palm DšOr (Cannes), awarded Best Director at Festival de Viša del Mar (Chile), and nominated for an Audience Award from the San Sebastišn International Film Festival (Spain). In 1999, the film was awarded a Golden Egret from the Miami Hispanic Film Festival, and Best Film from the Denver Latin Film Festival. Mr.Goggel produced and helped shoot this film.
	"Del Palenque de San Basilio" (2003), a four episode documentary film that portrays the life of the black communities of the Colombian Caribbean. Del Palenque de San Basilio is Mr. Goggel most recent film.

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Version en Español

Cumbia: El Llanto de Dos Razas en Cautiverio
Copyright š 2001, 2009.
Photographs by Alvaro Ernesto Ortiz and Ellen Speiser.
For problems or questions regarding this web contact [Juan Ricardo León].
Last updated: August 11, 2009