An Intimate Set from Laura Kalop

​Article and pictures by Val Hernández

Bogotá, Colombia – Colombian artist Laura Kalop performed an intimate midday set at Bogotá’s Cumbia House on 18th May, blending original material, classic covers, and personal storytelling in a show that felt both relaxed and deeply intentional. Though short—just under an hour—it offered a compelling glimpse into Kalop’s evolution as a songwriter and performer, with her son, her community, and her country at the heart of it all.

​She opened with ‘Soy de Acá’, a rousing anthem of Colombian identity. Its chorus takes the form of an acrostic, with each line beginning with a letter of the country’s name—a subtle but clever lyrical device that adds structure to its message of pride. The setlist then moved through covers of ‘Amor de Mi Tierra’ by Carlos Vives, ‘Pegao’ by Camilo, and ‘Amárrame’ by Mon Laferte—tracks that reinforced her musical roots while keeping the mood accessible for an audience largely composed of diners, many of whom were still unfamiliar with her catalogue.

​Kalop also debuted an unreleased track, ‘6 Vidas’, a romantic song co-written with her husband about their shared journey. From there, she transitioned into her most recent single, ‘Pero Sigues Aquí’, originally featuring Inés Garviria. The song was inspired by her son getting older and hitting that stage of “Muuum, you’re embarrassing me”, and it touches on presence, absence and change — that bittersweet feeling wrapped up in the line “you’re gone, but you’re still here.” With her son’s birthday the next day, the whole thing felt even more personal, though the lunchtime crowd stayed pretty quiet — probably a mix of not knowing the songs too well, being a bit shy, and the fact that lots of people were still eating.

The venue itself really added to the vibe too. Cumbia House — part restaurant, part music venue — is a cultural spot co-founded by vallenato legend Carlos Vives, known for giving Colombian up-and-coming artists a stage. Kalop’s performance felt more like a musical gathering than a typical concert: low-key, reflective, and deeply rooted in place. The setting gave space for songs like ‘Mujer Montaña’ to resonate—the central theme from El Diario de Ana Nieves, a musical Kalop wrote and narrated in December 2024 at Teatro La Santamaria. In the production, she served as both storyteller and “the mountain” itself, guiding the audience through a tale grounded in nature and ancestral knowledge.

​She followed with a short medley of songs by iconic female artists, setting the stage for her own feminist anthem, ‘Ay Mujer’, originally recorded with Andrea Echeverri. A fun post-show detail revealed that the collar Kalop wore onstage had been handmade and gifted to her by Echeverri herself, now a creative ally and friend

​The show closed on a high note with ‘Chocolate’ a celebration of music and culture from Colombia’s Pacific coast. Even though the audience didn’t really get up and dance, the performance had a real honesty to it that went beyond just entertaining the lunchtime crowd. After the set, Kalop was chatting with her family. “I was so nervous, but then I saw my son in the crowd and I just felt at peace,” she said — a sweet, grounding moment that really captured the emotional heart of the afternoon.

About the artist
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Laura Kalop is a Colombian singer-songwriter known for fusing pop with traditional Andean sounds. She trained as a classical vocalist and holds a Master’s degree in Musical Theatre from New York University. The daughter of renowned pianist Raúl Castaño, Kalop has released multiple projects, including her self-titled debut album Laura Kalop (2011), Raíz (2016) and the EP Koraje (2022), which reflect themes of identity, resilience, and personal growth. She was awarded Best Unpublished Work at the Festival Mono Núñez in 2014 and named Best Pop Artist at the Subterránica Awards in 2017. Her work bridges tradition and contemporary pop, always with a strong sense of cultural pride.

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