Barranquilla

The city where Joe stayed

Joe Arroyo was born in Cartagena, but as a young singer he made Barranquilla his home. In Barrio Abajo he found a neighbourhood he later remembered with affection; the city also became central to his career and his relationship with its carnival.

His song “En Barranquilla me quedo” names the decision in its title. In the lyric he sings of a Caribbean city with both river and sea, and addresses Barranquilla directly. The recording appeared with his orchestra La Verdad on Fuego en mi mente in 1988.

The city also heard another side of Arroyo’s writing. “Rebelión” tells of an enslaved couple in colonial Cartagena and resistance to violence; its setting is not Barranquilla. Arroyo’s music moved between that historical story and a declaration of attachment to the city where he lived.

In 2026 his daughters announced plans to turn his Barranquilla home into a museum; at the time of the announcement it was not yet open. Meanwhile, the song keeps its promise in the first person: the singer chooses to stay.