The music of Colombia is an expression of Colombian culture, music genres, both traditional and modern, according with the features of each geographic region, although it is not uncommon to find different musical styles in the same region. The diversity in musical expressions found in Colombia can be seen as the result of a mixture of Amerindian, African, and European influences, as well as more modern American.
Valledupar is a city and municipality in northeastern Colombia. It is the capital of Cesar Department. Its name, Valle de Upar, was established in honor of the Amerindian cacique who ruled the valley; Cacique Upar. The city lies between the mountains of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Serranía del Perijá to the borders of the Guatapurí and Cesar rivers.
Vallenato is a popular folk music genre from Colombia. It primarily comes from its Caribbean region. Vallenato literally means "born in the valley". The valley influencing this name is located between the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Serranía de Perijá in north-east Colombia. The name also applies to the people from the city where this genre originated: Valledupar. In 2006, vallenato and cumbia were added as a category in the Latin Grammy Awards. Colombia's traditional vallenato music is Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, according to UNESCO.
The carnival in Colombia was introduced by the Spaniards. The Colombian carnival has incorporated elements from European culture, and has managed to syncretise, or re-interpret, traditions that belonged to the African and Amerindian cultures of Colombia. There is documentary evidence that the carnival existed in Colombia in the 17th century and had already caused concern to the colonial authorities, who censored the celebrations, especially in the main centers of power such as Cartagena, Bogotá and Popayán. The carnival, therefore, continued its evolution and re-interpretation in the small and at that time unimportant towns where celebrations did not offend the ruling elites. The result was the uninterrupted celebration of carnival festivals in Barranquilla, and other villages along the lower Magdalena River in northern Colombia, and in Pasto, Nariño in the south of the country. In modern times, there have been attempts to introduce the carnival in the capital, Bogotá, in the early 20th century, but it has always failed to gain the approval of authorities. The Bogotá Carnival has had to wait until the 21st century to be resurrected, this time, by the authorities of the city. Colombia is recognized by its large variety of festivals, carnivals and fairs. Most towns have their own, ranging from those celebrating coffee to the ones held in honor of the town's Saint feast. The common characteristics of the festivals are the nomination of a beauty Queen and the setting up of public dance floor.
Diomedes Díaz Maestre was a Colombian vallenato singer, songwriter, and composer. He has been named the "King of Vallenato" and is nicknamed El Cacique de La Junta, which was given to him by another vallenato singer, Rafael Orozco Maestre, in honor of Díaz's birthplace.
Rafael Calixto Escalona Martinez was a Colombian composer and troubadour. He was known for being one of the most prominent vallenato music composers and troubadours of the genre and for being the co-founder of the Vallenato Legend Festival, along with Consuelo Araújo and Alfonso López Michelsen.
Consuelo Inés Araújo Noguera, also known as "La Cacica", was a Colombian politician, writer and self-taught journalist. Her nickname was given by a fellow journalist colleague for her tenacity and determination to achieve goals and leadership.
Nicolas Elias Mendoza Daza, also known as Colacho Mendoza, was a Colombian Vallenato accordion player and was crowned king of accordion players on many occasions in the Vallenato Legend Festival. He was born in a small village called Sabanas de Manuela in the municipality of Barrancas, La Guajira Department, in northern Colombia.
Hernando César Molina Araújo is a Colombian politician. Son of Hernando Molina Céspedes and Consuelo Araújo, he studied at the Colegio Nacional Loperena in Valledupar and later studied Law in the Antonio Nariño University, but dropped out. He declares himself a self-taught man. Molina was governor of the Colombian Department of Cesar for the period 2004–2007, a term which he did not complete due to his involvement in the Parapolitica scandal. he was called to testify on May 17, 2007 at the Office of the Attorney General of Colombia.
Amilkar Ariza is a painter and sculptor.
Francisco el Hombre (Francisco the Man) is a legendary character of Colombian folklore. He is the archetype of a juglar, a traditional player of Vallenato, a traditional Colombian genre of music. It is generally acknowledged that the popularly known story of Francisco el Hombre contains elements of myth, as well as historical fact.
Iván Francisco Villazón Aponte, is one of the most renowned vallenato singers in Colombia. His career as a singer began in 1984 after dropping out of college where he was pursuing a degree in law.
Jorge Antonio Oñate González was a Colombian singer and composer, one of the most renowned of the vallenato musical genre. As of 2004 and since the beginning of his career in 1968 he had achieved 25 gold discs, 7 platinum discs and 6 double platinum for his sales, among other numerous musical accomplishments. He had also successfully entered politics as councilor of his hometown, while deputising for Alfredo Cuello Dávila, representing the department of Cesar.
Patillal is a village and corregimiento in the municipality of Valledupar within the Colombian Department of Cesar. The town lies on the steps of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta with a semi-arid terrain.
The Cradle of Accordions Festival is a festival in the Colombian northern town of Villanueva, Department of La Guajira in the month of September. The Cradle of Accordions Festival is celebrated on the same day as Saint Thomas and many vallenato musicians from the Department of Cesar and La Guajira gather to participate in an accordionist contest. The religious event is celebrated with a mass, a procession and fireworks. In 2006 the Senate of Colombia by Law 1052 of this same year declared the Cradle of Accordions Festival as a Cultural and Artistic Patrimony of Colombia. The president of the event is Binomio de Oro de America accordionist and owner Israel Romero.
Leandro José Díaz Duarte was a Colombian vallenato music composer. He is mostly known for his ability to compose very descriptive and narrative vallenato songs despite his blindness. His songs have been recorded by many Colombian musicians including Carlos Vives, Diomedes Diaz, Jorge Oñate, Ivan Villazon, among others.
La Cacica, is a Colombia telenovela that premiered on Venezuelan broadcast television channel Televen on September 4, 2017, and concluded on October 30, 2017. The telenovela is based on the life on the Colombian writer and politics Consuelo Araújo Noguera. It stars Viña Machado as the titular character.
Boxing competitions at the 2022 Bolivarian Games in Valledupar, Colombia was held from 25 to 30 June 2022 at the Parque de la Leyenda Vallenata Consuelo Araujo Noguera.
The Central Cemetery of Valledupar is the oldest cemetery in the Colombian city of Valledupar, capital of the department of Cesar. It was founded in 1806 by order of lieutenant governor Andrés Pinto Cotrín and is located on the current Calle 15 between carreras 9 and 10, in the El Centro neighborhood of the city.
