The Pacific coast of Colombia is home to some five million African descendants.

Music in this region is a big part of life, but the most prominent roles are reserved for men, who traditionally sing and form bands while women, in most cases, are limited to playing a cylindrical shaker called the “guaca.” So when a young woman became the lead singer of a popular group, she knew she was opening a new path for other female Afro-Colombian artists.

Meet Game Changer Nidia Gongora.