Open Mind Groove es un colectivo musical que nace en la ciudad de Cartagena a orillas del mar Caribe, de donde recibe las influencias musicales y espirituales que hacen de este álbum una obra de arte que exalta el folclor de la costa caribe colombiana. Cada canción tiene su propia forma siendo todas inspiradas en vivencias y la cultura caribe, sin dejar de lado el aporte inmenso que hace el jazz a esta producción musical, el hip-hop, electrónica, afrobeats hacen parte del repertorio de estilos de Open Mind Groove.

OPEN MIND GROOVE is a band from Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, founded in 2010 by local percussionist Humberto Barrios Madiedo, and supported by a diverse set of fellow local musicians, including Ernesto “Pollo Brown” Ochoa (electric guitar), Leo Tatis (trumpet), Jorge Pardo (trumpet), Klein Rodriguez (bass), and Samuel Vélez (keyboards, sound production). OPEN MIND GROOVE came to life as a project in the heart of Cartagena, a musical expression of the incredible mystique that runs through the streets and alleyways of the bustling Caribbean port city it calls home. After months of research and personal preparation, these musicians came together to pioneer a new movement of jazz and jazz-based performances in Cartagena, weaving through the bars and clubs downtown, organizing cultural and musical events in the historic Getsemaní neighborhood, and playing such events as the Cartagena de Indias Jazz Fest. This summer, Open Mind Groove takes the stage as one of the most innovative up-and-coming bands in Caribbean Colombia, fusing Colombian folkloric music with jazz, electronica, afrobeat, and other styles.
The name OPEN MIND GROOVE is a declaration of the free-flowing nature of the band’s musical direction. Humberto Barrios and his companions each bring different musical influences to the table, including but certainly not limited to cumbia, champeta, jazz, African rhythms, reggae, soul, rock, pop, and electronica. They have married these different styles to create a new musical consensus, one that embraces the freedom of the artist and the malleability of seemingly rigid genre structures.
As such, OPEN MIND GROOVE takes on the challenge of both representing and reinventing its musical roots, paying homage to gaitas, cumbias, porros, merengues, chande, chirimía, fandangos, and other national styles by adapting them to their modern jazz, Caribbean, electronic, and world music influences, giving a broader sound to their compositions.
The project is led in composition by the band’s founder and main representative Humberto Barrios, and supported in musical production by keyboardist and recording engineer Samuel Vélez. Other noteworthy local and Caribbean musicians have contributed to the project, including Klein “The Master” Rodriguez on bass, Christian Salazar on bass (“Ten Cuidao”), Jorge “El Leon” Pardo on the trumpet, Guy Marc Gm Vadeleux on the synthesizer and piano, Kulu Ganja (Martinique) on vocals, Masako Fujimoto on piano (“Ten Cuidao”), Leo Santi, Marco Montaño, Yoman, and Danilo Garcés.