Casa Museo del Acordeon

The Casa Museo del Acordeon is a small museum dedicated to the history of the accordion in vallenato music and the story of the great masters — from Francisco el Hombre through Carlos Vives. The collection includes antique accordions, photographs, recordings, and an account of the instrument's journey from European workshops to the Caribbean coast of Colombia.

The museum is modest in scale but affectionate in its treatment of the subject. Staff are knowledgeable and often happy to explain the different regional styles of vallenato — the differences between a paseo, a son, a merengue, and a puya — which make more sense once you have heard them demonstrated.

things to do museum
A story
The accordion arrived in Colombia via German and Italian immigrants in the late 19th century. Within a generation it had fused with African drum rhythms and indigenous guacharaca music to create something entirely new. Valledupar was the crucible where this happened — a port-of-entry city at the base of the Sierra Nevada where all three populations met.