Colombian artist Lucrecia Dalt creates experimental music. As someone from Brazil, I know how frustrating it is when people reduce Brazilian music to the same three familiar rhythms. It’s the same with Colombia. I love cumbia but there’s so much more.

I spend a lot of time seeking out music from different countries and regions, and with each passing year the challenge of finding something distinctively local increases.

This is a tremendous loss for everybody—akin to losing a species or an entire ecosystem. I feel I’m fighting a losing battle, but I refuse to walk away from the challenge.