Ovidio Granados | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ovidio Enrique Granados Melo |
| Also known as | El viejo Villo [1] |
| Born | October 1941 (age 83) Valledupar, Colombia |
| Genres | Vallenato |
| Spouse | Nimia Córdoba |
Ovidio Enrique Granados Melo [a] (born 1941) is a Colombian vallenato accordionist and songwriter. He came second in the accordionist competition of the first Vallenato Legend Festival in 1968, and is considered the best accordion technician in Colombia.
Ovidio Enrique Granados Melo [2] [b] was born in October 1941 in the Mariangola neighbourhood of Valledupar, in the Colombian department of Cesar (but at that time still in Magdalena). [3] He was taught to play accordion by his grandfather Juanchito Granados, and given his first accordion by his uncle. [4]
Granados was accordionist in the conjunto Los Playoneros del Cesar from 1959, alongside Rafael Mojica (caja), Eliécer Fragozo (guacharaca) and Luciano Gullo Fragozo (vocals). [5] [6] In 1968 he competed in the accordionist competition of the first Vallenato Legend Festival, coming second behind Alejo Durán. [3] He competed again in 1975 and 1983, but did not win. [3]
Granados has a successful business repairing accordions, which he learned to do as a child by watching Ismael Rudas. [3] He is considered one of the best accordion technicians in Colombia. [7] : 63 He has accompanied Diomedes Díaz as accordionist on several recordings, including on a successful version of Calixto Ochoa's song "Diana" in 1982. [3] [5] Granados' notable compositions include the paseo "El Pobrecito" and the merengue "El Vicio". [8]
Granados' mother was Isabel Melo Durán, whose own mother Camila Durán was the cousin of Náfer and Alejo Durán. [9] His father was Juan Granados Ochoa, an accordionist, whose mother Ángela Ochoa was the aunt of Calixto Ochoa, and whose father Juancito Granados was a vallenato juglar. [9] Granados has ten siblings, among whom are Almes Granados, who was vallenato king at the Vallenato Legend Festival in 2011, and Adelmo Granados, who plays caja and has accompanied Silvestre Dangond. [9]
Granados is married to Nimia Córdoba, with whom he has ten children. [9] [4] His sons Juan José Granados and Hugo Carlos Granados were vallenato kings in 2005 and 2007, respectively. [3] His son Eudes Granados was also an accordion technician, and died in the same 1994 plane crash that killed Juancho Rois. [4]