By 11 a.m., the sound of the Beast is booming throughout the neighborhood of La Soledad in Barranquilla, Colombia. It’s the last Tuesday in February, and the last day of the seaside city’s famous annual Carnaval festivities. People are slow to rise after three sun-drenched days of spirited parades and late-night dances. Still, the Beast is hooked up and firing African soukous beats at a thunderous volume.The Beast, an 8-foot-tall sound system, is the celebrity of its block. It’s easily recognized by the painting of X Men’s Beast character (a giant blue mutant) that emblazons its mesh grill. This kind of flashy speaker system, known as a picó, is unique to Colombia’s Caribbean Coast. They vary in size, but can be double the height of an adult person. Each is illustrated with custom neon-colored aerosol artwork. And, like the Beast, each has a name chosen by its owner, the picotero.It’s hard to say whether picó culture first started in Barranquilla or Cartagena; both cities claim the title. But in Barranquilla, the sound systems first appeared in the 1950s. Locals told me that at the time, the top bands of the era played exclusively for affluent residents of the north part of town. Those who couldn’t afford entry, people in the barrios populares (working-class neighborhoods) of the south, developed their own music shows and dance parties in the streets. The center of the entertainment: A turntable hooked up to a flashy speaker system. Over time, the speaker set ups grew in size as the subculture solidified into something the city was known for.
Picotero Jaime Álvarez Gómez with his El Gran Fidel, one of the oldest picós in Barranquilla, built in 1968. From the series "Picótera," 2018, by Stefanie Moshammer. Courtesy of the artist.
(Left) Inside Discolombia, a record store in Barranquilla whose collection spans more than half a century. (Right) "El Mundo," collage. From the series "Picótera," 2018, by Stefanie Moshammer. Courtesy of the artist.
El Rojo La Cobra de Barranquilla, from the 1980s, in the kitchen of owner Julio Pereira. Painted by El Maestro William Gutiérrez. From the series "Picótera," 2018, by Stefanie Moshammer. Courtesy of the artist.
El Gran Kid, a young picó built in 2017. From the series "Picótera," 2018, by Stefanie Moshammer. Courtesy of the artist.
A woman dancing in La Troja, a bar with live music in Barranquilla. From the series "Picótera," 2018, by Stefanie Moshammer. Courtesy of the artist.