Welcome to the website of Baobab Music! Based in the Netherlands, we’re dedicated to promoting global music, supporting international artists, and curating unique events across the country.
Baobab Music
About Us
Since 2013, Baobab Music has been organizing global music events across the Netherlands, with a mission to shake up standard nightlife. We support both local and international artists, helping them find gigs while curating events. Besides this we are hosting a monthly 8hrs show at Open Source Radio in our hometown Nijmegen.
100+
Events organised
We’ve organized over 100 events, bringing global music to audiences across the Netherlands.
250+
Artist Supported
Helping international and local artists secure gigs and expand their reach.
Festivals
Hosting and curating
We’ve hosted and curated stages at festivals, with 10+ years global musical experiences.
Online Radio
From 2021 to 2025 we’ve curated a monthly 8hr show at Open Source Radio in Nijmegen, showcasing global sounds and talks.
El Mágico Baobab:
Bringing Colombian Picó Sound system to Europe
In 2022, we brought the second-ever picó sound system from Colombia to Europe, El Mágico Baobab. Picós are massive, hand-built sound systems that bring the vibrant, tropical rhythms of Caribbean coastal cities of Colombia to life and are unique to this region. Our collaboration with renowned Colombian artist William Gutiérrez Peñaloza (Barranquilla) gives El Mágico Baobab its unique, fluorescent hand-painted design. Experience a rich mix of Latin and African music, powered by this Dutch/Colombian sound system. ¡Aqui suenaaaaaa!
While the picó culture is not ours, we recognize its profound impact and significance. We strive to approach it with respect, mindful of its history and the people it represents. We like to connect with local Colombian organisations and are always open for a dialogue!
Picoteros
Introducing the Picoteros—our international team of DJs who bring the picó sound system to life. Spinning everything from the tropical meridian, sets can include cumbia, vallenato, merenque, salsa, champeta, highlife, afrobeat and rumba. We are not shy either for some reggaeton or amapiano. Together, we create an unforgettable atmosphere, embodying the spirit and power of El Mágico Baobab. Get ready to meet the crew and let’s make the magic happen!
Mango (NL)
vinyl
Info:
Maron Dekkers (Mango) is the founder of Baobab Music, established in 2013, and the initiator behind El Mágico Baobab. With experience performing at big festivals as a dj, supported loads of international acts, organised many events, and helped musicians with gigs around The Netherlands he has a rich resume in global music. His travels through Latin America have deeply influenced his musical journey, serving as a foundation for his passion for tropical sounds and cultural exploration.
DJ Ananas (NL)
vinyl/digital
Info:
Jochem de Wit (DJ Ananas) is the technical mastermind behind El Mágico Baobab. With a background in product design and a passion for sound and parties, he’s spent the last decade refining his craft. His dedication to both the technical and creative sides of music makes him a vital part of the team.
DJ Bossingwa (COL)
vinyl/live/digital
Info:
Hugo González (DJ Bossingwa), born and raised in Cartagena, Colombia, embodies the spirit of Colombia’s picó culture. Since 2015, he has traveled the world as a professional musician and DJ, performing alongside top bands in Afro-Caribbean music. A dedicated music investigator, he tirelessly explores the sounds of the African diaspora in Colombia, bringing his rich cultural heritage to every set he plays.
El Javier_B (VE)
vinyl/live
Info:
Javier Bohorquez (El Javier_B) After years of experimenting with his band Lola’s Dice, along with a passion for vinyl, he embarked on an extensive journey to explore rhythms and sounds from around the globe. Hailing from Maracaibo, Venezuela, his spirit is deeply connected to the vibrant tropical beats of the Caribbean and the enchanting sounds of Africa. El Javier_B is a creative force, dedicated to crafting eclectic mixes that ignite energy and groove on the dance floor.
MF Andrade (CPV/NL)
vinyl
Info:
Michel Andrade (MF Andrade) is a Rotterdam based artist with Cape Verdian roots. He spreads his tentacles to multiple corners of art forms. He started with painting and with this he developed his own style in a new discipline. During his life he moved from painting to playing records and back. At this day MF Andrade finds himself swimming in a pile of black gold after collecting records for a long time. His sets go from dusty African tribe- like sounds to pumping Funaná and chill out coladeira with steps to Brasil. This is all blended into a mix with other heavy vibes from all over the world.
Ramos (CR/UK)
vinyl
Info:
Nicholas Hawkins Ramos (Ramos) an dj deeply inspired by his Latin American roots in Costa Rica and the electronic influences he discovered in the UK, has been curating his collection and refining his sound from an early age. A longtime family member of Baobab, Ramos is celebrated for his sunny sets that always bring a ray of positivity to the dance floor.
Conjunto Media Luna (COL)
DJ set
(summer 2025)
Info:
Iván Medellín (Conjunto Media Luna) is a Colombian musician, accordionist, and producer best known for founding Conjunto Media Luna. Based in Bogotá Colombia, his DJ set bridges traditional Colombian folk music, particularly the accordion-driven styles of the Montes de María region, with modern experimental sounds such as synthesizers, samplers, and drum machines from other aesthetics, such as cumbia rebajada and low rider cumbia. Conjunto Media Luna Dj Set also draws on influences from Afro-Caribbean rhythms while incorporating elements of rock, techno, and avant-garde aesthetics.
La Pinche Tefi (COL)
DJ set
(summer 2025)
IG
Info:
Stephanie Ascanio (la Pinche Tefi) With a special 45 rpm vinyl selection that focuses on seriously danceable rhythms from around the world, La Pinche Tefi would transport the audience to a typical underground party in the tropical-but-dusk city of Bogotá, Colombia. Their set is a nonstop groove of, new and old, hidden pearls that can go from mysterious afro-grooves to acid cumbias and latin soul or merengue.
Representing one of the psychedelic capitals of Latin America, this explosive set to give your hips and feet the time of their lives.
Barzo (CR)
Digital
(summer 2025)
Info:
Bartosz Brenes (Barzo) is a Costa Rican DJ and producer with a career spanning over a decade of releases and live performances. From his early days as a DJ to his most recent productions, he has demonstrated great skill for mixing different musical styles with ease and flow. Barzo has produced official remixes for Janelle Monáe, Erykah Badu, Boy George, A-Trak & Dillon Francis, among many others. Barzo has performed in over 20 countries throughout America, Europe & Asia, sharing the stage with artists such as Justin Bieber, J Balvin, Juanes, Calvin Harris, Tiesto, Diplo, Skrillex and more. Barzo is head of latin alternative music label Lácteo Cósmico and has collaborated with Nickodemus, Pahua, Debi Nova, La Dame Blanche, Soy Emilia, Claridad, Rulo, El Individuo and Gary Nesta Pine.
Bãs Laitir (NL)
vinyl/digital
Info:
Bas Leferink (Bãs Laitir) means business when it comes to salsa, soukous, cumbia, vallenato, montunos, zouk, gouyad, kwaito, and everything in between. He travels to Latin America and Africa several times a month, taking deep dives into stacks upon stacks of records and bringing back suitcases full of music. With one of the most versatile Latin/Caribbean music collections in the country, his fusing of sounds will always be able to surprise you.
Bookings and Info
Get in touch with us! Whether you have questions, want to collaborate, or need more information about our events and projects. We’re ready to talk and here to bring the music and energy of Baobab to more places—let’s connect!
General Info:
Maron Dekkers
Nijmegen (NL)
maron@baobabmusic.nl
Agency:
agency@baobabmusic.nl
Agency
Proudly representing the following artists within the European territory:
Tribu Baharú (Colombia)
Afro-champeta
Tribu Baharú is a Colombian Afro-champeta music collective inspired by Caribbean Picó culture. They blend live music with vibrant street dance energy and have received international recognition, including awards and honors from WOMEX and Colombian institutions. Their music aims to create a joyful connection with audiences through dance. In 2025, they expanded their global presence with tours in Australia and Southeast Asia, continuing to innovate champeta music by merging retro aesthetics with the spirit of the Caribbean diaspora in Bogotá.
Gaiteros de Pueblo Santo (Colombia)
Cumbia
Gaiteros de Pueblo Santo is a Colombian music group, founded in 2007 and made up of the best artists from the Caribbean region, based in the city of Barranquilla. These masters are responsible for playing the ancestral instruments that bring to life the stories of a narrative and sonic universe called Pueblo Santo.
Our gaita music is the result of a blend of ancient indigenous flutes from the native peoples of our Caribbean, the rhythm of African drums, and the mestizo language that emerged from Spanish; a fusion that also gave birth to cumbia and the unique musical legacy of this region of Colombia, which preserves in its sound the song of wild birds, ancestral cosmogony, and the key to connecting the earthly and the sacred. This instrument that was handed down to us is one of the fundamental components for Gaiteros de Pueblo Santo, and together with profound lyrics full of everyday stories and a virtuosic interpretative style, make our performances a magical and powerful experience.
This All Star group of gaita musicians has an original repertoire of more than 80 songs, authored by director Marlon Peroza, among which stands out the album “Historias Cantadas,” nominated for the 2020 Latin Grammy Award in the category of Best Folk Album. In addition, we have received 25 national recognitions as winners in all the gaita festivals in Colombia, the Afro-Colombians of the Year award in 2020 granted by the newspaper El Espectador and the Color de Colombia Foundation, and the national stimulus portfolio in 2022 and 2023. We also created and recorded the song for the queen of the Carnival of the 44 in Barranquilla, “Flow Arrebatao.”
Label
As a label we’ve released the following music on vinyl:
Rata Piano (Colombia)
El Rey de los Guarapos
2025 — in collaboration with Palenque Records
Rafael Pertuz, a.k.a. DJ Rata Piano, is Barranquilla’s very own superstar in the underground Champeta scene. Renowned for his work with numerous picó sound systems, Rafael has made a mark by remixing Champeta and African music. DJ Rata Piano is particularly famous for his live sets featuring the Casio SK-5 piano sampler, one of the most beloved samplers in the picó sound system culture of Colombia.
By remixing these tracks and adding high-speed live piano jams, a new sub-genre was born, “Guarapo”.
With this release, we present two tracks from “The King of Guarapo”. These tracks became classics during the lively verbena parties on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. They offer a new and unique dimension of Afro-urban rhythms, unveiling the beautiful world of Champeta and its picó sound systems. ¡Aqui suenaaaaaa!i
DANDANA
Free The System
2020 — released on Rebel Up Records (Belgium)
DANDANA is a musical collective with musicians from the Netherlands, Senegal and The Gambia with members Bas Ackermann, Ebou Gaye Mada, Filly Dioma, Jackson Loman, Joop de Graaf and Modou Joof. Their sound pays tribute to traditional West African rhythm and grooves, and the love for ambient and synthesizers.
