In the 1960s a boom in rock music happened in Colombia, as a result of globalization, the influence of the foreign music of that decade, and opposition to the Vietnam war. From that moment in time came the first rock bands in the country. The most famous band in those years where Los Speakers from Bogotá. Their last and most famous album was The Speakers en el maravilloso mundo de Ingeson edited in 1968. Some bands of the sixties: Los Speakers, Los Flippers, Los Yetis, Los Ampex, Los Young Beats, Los Streaks, Time Machine, The Walflower Complextion. After founding Los Speakers, Humberto Monroy also founded Siglo Cero and the legendary band Géne-sis, that produced works through the 1970s and 1980s. In the 1980s, Kraken became the first known heavy metal band in Colombia, as well as the oldest still active band of the country, becoming the progenitors of many rising bands until today. Those included Ekhymosis, from which Juanes split for a solo career. Bogotá, Medellín and Cali were the cities where this movement started to grow, and they remain today as the main cradles for new groups and styles. Colombian rock is grouped with all Rock en español, a movement led by Argentinian rock and Mexican rock.
Along eighties it emerged one of the most representatives Colombian Underground metal scenes known as "Metal Medallo", this one arose in Medellin Colombia, creating a representative kind of local metal known as Ultra Metal. This musical scene was characterized by gathering several genres of metal music such as Death Metal, Thrash Metal, Black Metal, and so on; the most representatives bands of this world-class scene were Parabellum, Masacre and Reencarnacion, among others. This metal scene was widely known in this decade in Europe, particularly in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Germany, even Parabellum and Reencarnacion influenced the Early Norwegian black metal scene, moreover was and is broadly known in Japan and North America. Nowadays, this Colombian scene is respected in several countries particularly in underground and old school scenes.
Colombian Indie & Alternative Rock
Since 2005, Colombia has seen a growth of new punk rock, pop punk, and alternative rock bands. Despite the problems of gaining radio play, bands like Blunt, Tres De Corazon, The Mills, The Hall Effect, Don Tetto, Area 12, Donna Joe Radio, Zarco, Stayway, The Radio Flyer, the Ghetto Muppets, Proper Strangers are starting to become more popular. Internationally, new artists such as Locos por Juana recently nominated to a Grammy award, and Intrudia have gained notoriety and represent the Colombian Rock in USA.