This is the story of the traditional beat at the heart of Latin America’s richest music, featuring exclusive interview and performances by the international pop star and Grammy winner Carlos Vives and behind the scene footage of the legendary Vallenato Festival.

In Colombia’s northern Magdalena Valley, valley music is the rage and the accordion is king. Every 10 years, Colombia’s top accordion virtuosi gather in the market town of Valledupar to compete in a fierce musical battle to decide who among them is the undisputed Accordion King while at the same time inspiring new forms of world music.