A New Generation Of Indigenous Artists In The Colombian Amazon Reclaims The Murui Language Through Rap

A group of young men in the Colombian Amazon is using rap to bring the murui language into a space where it has rarely been heard. Son de la Selva, formed in a community outside Leticia, has built its music around a language that several of its members had to relearn after growing up without it.

Leticia sits at the southern edge of Colombia, where the country meets Brazil and Peru, a region often described as the triple border. It is one of the few urban centers in the Amazon, which places Indigenous communities in close contact with tourism, commerce, and outside influence. Within that setting, maintaining language and cultural practices requires intention, especially among younger generations.

The murui people, also known as Witoto, are Indigenous to the Amazon regions of Colombia and Peru. Their history includes forced displacement tied to the rubber boom of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when entire communities were targeted, exploited, and scattered across the region. That period disrupted language transmission, as many families later chose to raise their children in Spanish to avoid discrimination.

Rap In Murui Takes Shape In The Amazon

According to EL PAÍS, Son de la Selva includes Héctor Morales, known as HM, along with Totty, Parrot, Yova, Sonjack, and AVJ Checo. All are in their twenties and come from the same murui community. They began working together during the pandemic, when daily life slowed and gave them time to focus on creating music tied to their own experiences.

They perform at community events as well as in central areas of Leticia, where audiences range from local residents to visitors passing through the region. Their use of murui places the language in public spaces where it is often absent.

Rap in Indigenous languages has existed for years, though its presence in murui within this context remains uncommon. The group’s work places an Amazonian language into a format associated with urban storytelling.

Relearning A Language Through Elders

Several members of the group did not grow up speaking murui fluently. The language had been set aside in many households due to fear of exclusion, which created a gap between generations.

To close that gap, the group turned to elders, who remain the primary source of linguistic and cultural knowledge. These exchanges often take place in mambeaderos, where people gather to share mambe, a preparation made from coca leaves, and to discuss matters tied to community life.

Through these conversations, the group learned how to use the language with care, especially when addressing historical events that remain sensitive within the community.

Music That Confronts The Past

One of their songs, “MARE UAI,” focuses on the period of rubber exploitation that affected the murui people. The lyrics describe violence against their ancestors and the lasting impact of that period, while also addressing survival and recovery.

Each member contributes a section to the track, allowing different perspectives to appear within the same song. The production includes elements connected to their environment, such as traditional instruments and sounds associated with the forest.

A Project Rooted In Continuity

Son de la Selva has released several songs and continues to develop new material. Their collaboration with Vist Projects and Colombian MC Mismo Perro has expanded their production while keeping their focus on language.

Their work centers on keeping murui present among younger generations, using music to connect cultural knowledge with contemporary expression in a region where both continue to exist side by side.