Alexis Montaño Remanso Pacifico

ALEXIS MONTAÑO MORENO

Alexis was born in Guapi- Cauca, Colombia, the on September 14 of 1989. He was born and raised next to Guapi River. Since, he was 5 years old; he followed “Arrullos”, the traditional processions to honor Saints and Virgins. Alexis began to develop a musical talent at a very young age, mainly influenced by the presence of his grandmother with whom he grew up, since his mother had to migrate to Cali due to her bad financial condition. Alexis, thanks to his grandmother learnt how to value the traditions of his homeland.

 Alexis studied at Institución Educativa San José, graduating at 21 as a traditional musician from the Pacific Coast. Right after that, thanks to the Ministry of Culture, he traveled to Cali to continue his studies at the University of Fine Arts of that city. Unfortunately, because of his lack of resources, Alexis is forced to drop out from that institution, recurring to the streets to play in order to survive and searching for opportunities, with very poor luck.

It is during this time that Alexis meets Maestro Hugo Candelario Gonzales, director of Grupo Bahia and his brother Esteban Gonzales. It is with them, that he follows different paths finally getting him to be included in one of the most important musical groups of that time, CANALON DE TIMBIQUÍ, which was a traditional musical group with a longer trajectory. Canalon was founded by teacher Elizabeth Sinisterra, better known with love as “La Profe Licha” from Timbiquí, Cauca.

Alexis becomes a member of Canalos de Timbiqui in 2011, while Profe Licha was still the director. The same year, the group together with Alexis travels to Austin, Texas in the US, to the SXSW FILM FESTIVAL SUNSET STRIP. This experience influences Alexi’s life making him explore different musical backgrounds. During the following years, Canalon together with Alexis were part of important stages in Colombia, such as, Festival Petronio Alevaez, Barranquilla Carnival, el Carnaval del Diablo, Rio Sucio, the Pacific coast, the Coffee Triangle, the Atlantic Department and others. 

Alexis leaves Canalon and starts to teach traditional music at Fundacion Trascender in Cali, then Anik López workshop and school, where he stayed for 5 months. Right after that, Alexis was invited to Itapoa Project, Ecuador chapter, to rescue the culture of the Pacific that was lost in that area, working with children of the “Diversidad Del Choco’ School, where he still collaborates until now.  

Alexis goes back to Canalón de Timbiqui and during this time he works in one of his single “UNA SOLA RAZA”. At the end of this work, Canalon is invited to interpret a French melody by Georges Brassens, named Jeanne (la Juana).  Thanks to this interpretation which was played in various radio stations across France, Canalon became known and invited to its first musical tour in Europe in 2017.

They played in important stages in England, Sweden, Germany, France, Cyprus and Belgium, as well as other places. At their return to Colombia, Alexis becomes aware of the large group of young musicians from the Pacific Region, who wanted to keep the culture alive. It is then, that Alexis retakes a project that he created in 2009 in his hometown Guapi and revives Remanso Pacifico, leaving Canalon for good.

Remanso Pacífico was formed in 2009 in Guapi. The main purpose was to participate in different traditional events, such as, arrullos, currulaos, albados, los chigualos and boga songs. These would make part of the main repertoire, following the traditions of their ancestors, keeping the same elements of the traditional music.

Remanso is a group which has kept the same oral expressions of the Colombian Pacific Region and where the musicians find a space to be part of, integrating musicians from different parts of the region such as, Buenaventura, Chocó, Tumaco, El Charco and Guapi, since all of them share the same cultural and musical roots.