Biography (En Español)

Austin, Texas band Cerronato plays an authentic yet innovative version of Colombian vallenato and cumbia. Their poignant and energetic music attracts a diverse fan base of young and old, many of who dance enthusiastically to Cerronato’s lively, captivating sound. That sound merges ornate, tantalizing melodies from the accordion with rumbling and quirky bass lines, the eccentric syncopation of the guacharaca or scraper, the steady beat of the small drum, and the frenzied flourishes of the bongo. High, plaintive cries punctuate the poignant and passionate four-part harmonies of Cerronato on a mix of traditional and original tunes.

The story of how group leader Mike Maddux discovered vallenato is a fortuitous one. Shortly after Maddux switched from playing keyboards to accordion, a friend played him a record featuring vallenato from a series called “Accordions that Shook the World.” That music shook Maddux’s musical world; he was immediately captivated by the “raw, energetic quality” of the vallenato sound. He also “liked the smallness of the groups, leaving a lot of room for each of the instruments.” The vallenato style appealed strongly to avid and virtuosic accordionist Maddux, who wanted the accordion sound to be prominent in musical groups he joined. After years of playing a mix of Latin music in various popular local groups, Maddux realized his musical dream of concentrating on vallenato by forming Cerronato.

The style vallenato, which is believed to be over 100 years old, draws its name from Valledupar, a Colombian city in the area where it originated. The word vallenato can be translated as “native to the valley.” In seeking a name for his new group, Mike Maddux looked for a word connected with hills, since Austin is located on the edge of the Central Texas Hill Country—an area renowned for its creative spirit. Echoing the name of the musical style the group plays, the invented name Cerronato means “hill born” or “native to the hills.”

Describing the experience of playing with Cerronato, Maddux enthuses: “It’s the biggest thrill—sort of like skydiving or driving a race car. It has that same kind of excitement that people want to get out of driving fast. You have to be skillful; it demands that you be aware and alert and doing the right thing at the right time. If you succeed, the result is something good. One nice thing is that you don’t actually die if you make a mistake.”

True to its musical roots deep in Colombian history, Cerronato creates music for people who live their lives passionately, treasuring every moment—especially those spent celebrating. Every time they perform, Cerronato strives to recreate the fervid spirit of the Colombian parranda (translated as revel or jam session). Cerronato has taken their music to surprising new places, appearing twice on national television. In addition to clubs and parties, Cerronato has performed festivals around the state, including the Texas Folklife Resources-sponsored Accordion Kings festival in Houston and the Viking Festival in Waco, where they donned horned helmets to perform—certainly a first for a vallenato group.

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