Valledupar
—  City and municipality  —
View of the Downtown's 9th Avenue View of the Downtown's 9th Avenue
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): City of the Holy Kings of Valledupar
Location in the Department of Cesar. Municipality (dark gray), City (red).
Valledupar Location within Colombia
Coordinates: 10°29′N 73°15′W / 10.483°N 73.25°W / 10.483; -73.25Coordinates: 10°29′N 73°15′W / 10.483°N 73.25°W / 10.483; -73.25
Country	Colombia
Region	Caribbean
Department	Cesar
Foundation	January 6, 1550
Government
• Mayor	Luis Fabián Fernández[1] (L)
Area
• City and municipality	4,977.66 km2 (1,921.89 sq mi)
Elevation	180 m (590 ft)
Population (2005)
• City and municipality	354,180
• Density	71/km2 (180/sq mi)
• Urban	336,731
	[2]
Time zone	Eastern Time Zone (UTC-05)
Website	valledupar.gov.co
*Valledupar metropolitan area is yet to be determined.

Valledupar is a city and municipality in northeastern Colombia. It is the capital of Cesar Department and was founded in 1550 by the Spanish conquistador Hernando de Santana. Its name, Valle de Upar (Valley of Upar), was established in honor of the Amerindian cacique who ruled the valley; Cacique Upar. The city lies between the mountains of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Serrania del Perija to the borders of the Guatapurí and Cesar rivers.^[3]

Valledupar is an important agricultural, cattle raising, and agro-industrial center for the region between the Departments of Cesar and southern municipalities of La Guajira Department, formerly known as the Padilla Province. Valledupar is notable as the cradle of vallenato music, representative of the Colombian culture. The city hosts the Vallenato Legend Festival.

During the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, the city suffered during the Colombian Armed Conflict, with numerous kidnappings,^[4] thousands of people forced out^[5] and failure to control crime, especially attacks on journalists.^[6]

Valledupar has one of Colombia's most modern maximum security prisons.^[7]

Geography[link]

The municipality of Valledupar is located southeast of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, 10 degrees, 29 minutes, of north latitude and 73 degrees 15 minutes longitude to the west of the Greenwich Meridian. Valledupar's average temperature is about 28 °C. Because of its high altitude but proximity to the equator, this municipality possesses a variety of environments, from hot warm to perpetual snow. The most important heights are the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta's peaks; the Codazzi, El Guardian, the Ojeda and La Reina. Many rivers descend from its snowy peaks and lagoons; the Ariguani, Ariguanicito, Badillo, Calderas, Cesar, Curiba, Donachui, Garupal, Guatapuri, which borders the city of Valledupar; and the Mariangola.

The Municipality of Valledupar is bordered on the north with the municipalities of Riohacha and San Juan del Cesar in the department of La Guajira. To the south are the municipalities of El Paso and Los Robles La Paz in the department of Cesar; to the east are the municipalities of Villanueva and Urumita, also in the Department of La Guajira; and to the west are the municipalities Fundacion and Aracataca, in the department of Magdalena.

The municipality has an area of about 4,977.96 km², from which 72,660 km² pertain to the Arhuacos Indian Reserve, 399.52 km² to the Kogui and wiwa Indian Reserve, and 425.60 km² to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Park.

Climate[link]

History[link]

Statue honoring Cpt Hernando de Santana, founder of Valledupar.

The Spanish named the Valle de Upar (Valley of Upar) after a legendary local Amerindian cacique, Upar, leader of the Native American Chimila Nation. The region was first explored by Pedro de Badillo. It was conquered in 1532 by the German Ambrosius Ehinger, governor of Venezuela, who invaded the area belonging to the government of Santa Marta. The city was founded in 1550 by the Spanish conquistador, Captain Hernando de Santana, who named it. The Catholic Church commonly referred to the city as Ciudad de los Santos Reyes de Valle de Upar (city of the holy kings of Valledupar) because it was founded on the 6th day of January, Epiphany, the day the three kings visited the infant Jesus. The name was gradually modified to Valle Dupar and then to Valledupar.

Since the colonization period, the region has been a center for imports from the Caribbean area and distribution to the inland. Spaniards traveled through the area and established extensive farming, mainly rearing imported European cattle (among many animals) and agriculture. Much of the population of the Chimila Nation died from epidemics of new infectious diseases carried by the Europeans; survivors were worked at forced labor, and many died during battles.

On May 22, 1810 some 400 inhabitants of the Cabildo of the Valle de Upar rebelled against the Spanish monarchy, protesting against Mayor Colonel Marques de Valde-Hoyos. The mayor fled to neighboring San Juan del Cesar, leaving in charge V. Ruiz de Gomez. In 1813 independence from Spain was proclaimed by Maria Concepcion Loperena de Fernandez de Castro, a wealthy land owner who helped supply three hundred horses to El Libertador Simón Bolívar's revolutionary army.

In 1850 the city became capital of the Valledupar Province and in 1864 was elevated to capital of the Valledupar Department of the Federal State of Magdalena. In 1915, Aater the political and administrative division restructuring of the Unitarian Colombian State, Valledupar was proclaimed the municipality of the Valledupar Province, part of the Federal State of Magdalena during the United States of Colombia era. The region maintained relative isolation from the rest of the country due to its low importance at the time. The violent political struggles of the different governments of Colombia took place mostly in larger cities, such as Bogotá.

Downtown Valledupar preserves much Spanish colonial architecture.

During World War II, the city received many immigrants from Europe, especially French, Germans and Italians. Later it attracted immigrants from the Middle East. In 1956 it was proclaimed a parish by the Catholic Church. After the Republic of Colombia was created and the Department of Cesar was established in 1967, Valledupar became its capital.

The region started developing quickly due to political support from the former president Alfonso López Michelsen, first governor of the Department of Cesar's and the Colombian Liberal Party. Valledupar came to be known as sorpresa caribe (the Caribbean surprise) because of its rapid economic growth during the 1970s, especially in cotton production, which local people called "white gold". Valledupar ranked second overall in economic profits for Colombia during this time. Urban growth and social change accompanied prosperity and the city developed its cultural identity throughout these years. The revival of the Vallenato music strongly symbolizes the culture of Colombia.

A period of violence erupted during the mid-1980s, disrupting the peaceful growth. A struggling leftist political party, the Patriotic Union (U.P.), was led by a prominent banker, Juvenal Ovidio Ricardo Palmera Pineda.^[4] Because of his incendiary remarks during a peasant strike and protest in the main plaza, he was jailed. After being given amnesty by Jorge Dangond Daza, the governor of the Department, Palmera went into hiding. The national government and conservative groups started a persecution of UP's leaders and followers. Many of Palmera's followers went into exile in Europe.^[4]

He escaped into the mountains, taking refuge with the armed branch of the UP; the FARC. Palmera became a guerrilla leader; as a banker, he knew who in the city and region were wealthy. He began kidnapping (and sometimes killing) prominent political leaders, journalists and rich land owners (including members of his own family), using the ransoms to finance his organization. He took the alias Simón Trinidad.^[4]

During this period, general crime rose and, on October 15, 1994, the national bank El Banco de la Republica (Bank of the Republic) was robbed. The amount stolen: COP$ 24,075 millions of pesos of non emitted bills (some US$ 11 million) and came to be known as the "El Robo del Siglo" (The bank heist of the century).^[10]

To counter FARC and ELN's abuses, and after approximately fifteen years of asfixiating Valledupar's society and supporting negligence by the Colombian military, some prominent leaders of Valledupar, landowners and those victims of these organizations decided to become part or promote, self-defense forces that later on affiliated with the AUC and assigned another "Vallenatean" as leader Rodrigo Tovar Pupo a.k.a. Jorge 40.^[4]

The self-defense forces adopted methods like the guerrilla, including illegal drug trafficking to finance their operations. They used terrorism tactics that also affected innocent people, such as selective and random kidnappings, and combinations of racketeering and selective assassinations – the trademark of Death Squads. The AUC helped take back the region from guerrillas, but Valledupar residents had to deal with similar uncertainty in having an illegal and terrorist organization controlling the city.

The AUC northern block demobilized March 10, 2006.^[11] It is still uncertain if the Colombian military can control the two terrorist organizations or dismantle them. Because of the longstanding violence, many rural people migrated into the city. Prominent regional leaders have been killed; others were forced into bankruptcy or out of the region.

Despite the violence, since it became capital of the Department of Cesar, Valledupar developed as an important agricultural and cattle raising center for the region between the departments of Cesar and southern parts of La Guajira. It is most notable as the cradle of vallenato music, which is played with accordion, a small drum (caja) and a scraping instrument (guacharaca). Since 1968 at the end of April, the city has held an annual four-day festival, the Vallenato Legend Festival.

Politics[link]

The Department of Cesar's government and Chamber of Deputies offices are based in Valledupar as well as other Department level entities. At City level, the Mayor of the City and the City counselors have a three-year term in office, and are in charge of local government issues. The mayor's powers are highly dependent on the budgets assigned by the Departmental government in order to execute plans.

Many local government leaders have been involved in corruption cases, investigated and sometimes incarcerated. The government bureaucracy is highly politicized, with the execution of some plans dependent on political interests and winning advantages over political adversaries. The local judiciary is also vulnerable to corruption, as well as being a target of terrorists and guerrillas.

See more: Political System of Colombia

Administrative divisions[link]

In Valledupar 84% of the total population lives in the urban areas of the municipality with a density of approximately 68,4 inhabitants per km² (1).

Urban

The city of Valledupar is made up 6 comunas subdivided into 138 barrios and Districts.

Corregimientos[link]

The Municipality of Valledupar is divided into six different geographic zones integrated by subdivisions called Corregimientos (25), and subdivisions to this called Veredas (125) and considered rural areas of the city of Valledupar:

• Northern Zone: 5 corregimientos divided into 42 veredas.

Corregimientos:

• • Atanquez
  • Guatapurí
  • Chemesquemena
  • La Mina
  • Los Haticos

• Northwestern Zone: 10 corregimientos divided into 4 veredas.

Corregimientos:

• • Guacoche
  • Guacochito
  • La Vega Arriba
  • Los Corazones
  • El Jabo
  • Las Raices
  • El Alto la Vuelta
  • Badillo
  • Patillal
  • Rio Seco

• Southeastern Zone: 2 corregimientos divided into 13 veredas.

Corregimientos in the Municipality of Valledupar.

Corregimientos:

• • Aguas Blancas
  • Valencia de Jesús

• Southern Zone: 4 corregimientos divided into 15 veredas.

Corregimientos:

• • Guaimaral
  • Caracoli
  • Los Venados
  • El Perro

• Southwestern Zone: 2 corregimientos divided into 30 veredas.

Corregimientos:

• • Mariangola
  • Villa Germania

• Northwestern Zone: 2 corregimientos divided into 21 veredas.

Corregimientos:

• • Sabana Crespo
  • Azúcar Buena

Demographics[link]

Education[link]

• Largest Middle/High school: Colegio Nacional Loperena (Loperena National School)
• Largest university: Popular University of Cesar (Universidad Popular del Cesar) state owned.
• The Educational institutions with the highest academic level in the city are the Fundación Colegio Bilingüe, Colegio Gimnasio Del Norte and Colegio Santa Fe.

Overall Educational Statistics

• • Kinder = 6,300
  • Middle School = 24,561
  • High School = 17,026
  • University = 11,910
  • Post Grade = 938

• NOTE: this statistic is from the year 2004.

Ethnicities[link]

Three groups of Amerindians, part of the Tairona culture, are based near this region inside Indian reserves, all named for the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta: the Arhuaco Reserve (pop. 18,500); the Kankuamo Reserve (pop. 12,000) and the Kogi-Wiwa Reserve (pop. 4,500). The Amerindian cultures have contributed traditional arts and crafts, as well as many crops adopted by the Spanish and traded around the world; the Africans imported by Spanish colonists as workers and slaves contributed to the food, religion and music; and Europeans contributed to government, architecture, Catholic religion and other aspects, especially that of the Spanish colonial period. The Vallenato music has been a creole fusion of these three cultures; the European accordion brought by Germans, the drum from the Africans, and the "guacharaca" from the Amerindians.

Other waves of European immigrants came during the 1940s to 1950s while trying to escape World War II or financial hardships. From approximately the 1960s, waves of immigrants from the Middle East started arriving in the city. They have been sympathetically nicknamed Turcos (Turks) by locals. Immigrants have been welcomed and are able to become part of society, marrying into traditional Valledupar families.

Economy[link]

Cotton, once Valledupar's main commodity crop

Young Brahman calf

The economy of the region is based almost entirely on the primary sector. Agriculture and cattle raising are central to the economy. During the 1970s, the region experienced an economic boom because of a massive production of cotton when worldwide demand was high. This helped to modernize Valledupar, and it became the second most productive region in Colombia for some time. The cotton boom ended during the 1980s because of a decrease in cotton production during the years of violence. The resulting economic recession left many in debt and unable to repay loans to the banks. During these years marimberos, or marijuana sellers, also produced and contributed to the economic boom, because of the high demand in the United States.

Today, Valledupar mainly produces cotton, rice, oil palm, tobacco, coffee, cocoa and other cash crops. Since the late 20th century, the city has benefited from the department of Cesar's development of coal mining in the region of La Jagua de Ibirico. The secondary sector has been flourishing from a few agricultural products and derivates from cattle. With the increased presence of the military to protect the infrastructure and trade, the economy has been recovering. Terrorist groups are still present: FARC, ELN and AUC. These groups contribute to the illicit drugs industry in the region. They cultivate great quantities of opium poppies and marihuana around the area.

The region is using technology in order to develop into a more modern city. In a smaller scale, other sources of the economy are: fishing, transportation, construction, industrial manufacturing, electricity and gas, commerce, hotel industry, government, real estate, education, healthcare and domestic services.

The Vallenato Legend Festival, has gained economic importance because of its impact in Valledupar's economy. The Festival has become a destination for the tourist industry, and enables the promotion of other local products. The region's contemporary arts and crafts, ecotourism and cuisine have contributed to a growing hospitality industry.

In 2006 during the Vallenato Legend Festival, the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia agreed to promote local coffee as one of their products, under the name Cafe Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata (Vallenato Legend Festival Coffee). This effort is to promote coffee produced by the local small and medium-sized farms from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Serrania del Perija.

Valledupar annually hosts one of the most important Cattle Fairs (Spanish: Ferias Ganaderas) in Colombia at the end of August. It is also an opportunity to feature other agricultural and domestic products.

Culture[link]

Valledupar's cultural background comes from three different major cultures; the Amerindians, the European settlers, and Africans imported as slaves to the colony. The creolization of these cultures developed into unique musical styles, such as in the vallenato and cumbia. Valledupar was established as a Spanish colonial town, where colonists tried to reimpose what they knew in terms of familiar customs, food, popular religion, music, dances and Castilian Spanish.

Many descendants from the colonial period were converted to Catholicism. At the same time, practices have absorbed aspects of Amerindian and African cultures, as Christianity is syncretic. The holy week, in April, is celebrated in much the same way as during colonial times; with fasting, church attendance and processions to venerate Jesus and the Santo Eccehomo. Corpus Christi is celebrated in July. In religious practices, Christians represent the majority of the population. There are a minority of Muslims.

A flowering Tecoma chrysostricha known as Cañaguate colloquially.

Traditional oral storytelling has helped preserve stories, myths and legends, such as the popular "leyend of the guatapuri mermaid", or the "silborcito" (the nazarenian without a head), "the Lerta" ("The duel between the devil and Francisco 'the man'", "the monitos", "The llorona (the crying woman)", "la madre monte (mother nature)" "la mano pelua (the hairy hand)", and "el cuco", among other stories that are still alive. Storytellers are very common in the region, as well as traditional comedians. These storytellers, usually travelling farmers selling their cattle around the region, revived the already traditional Spanish juglares (minstrels). From village to village, they sang the news and stories from other towns, usually playing an instrument. This is how the Vallenato music was believed to be born.

Dances play a very important role in the cultural identity of this society, coming from the three different cultures that founded it, among this dances are: "Tambora La Cumana" "El Pilon Vallenato" "chicote kankuamo" and "Los Diablos danzantes de Corpus Christi" (The Corpus Christi Dancing Devils). The latter originated in a colonial theater play, developed to represent the devil and good, in an effort to convert the Amerindians to Christianity. Valledupar also celebrates a carnival in February, smaller but similar to Barranquilla's Carnival. Carnival's celebration of pagan traditions, quickly helped the Amerindian and Africans traditions to be adopted by society.

• Casa de la Cultura (House of Culture) and Escuela de Bellas Artes (Fine Arts School):

These two entities are part of the Colombian Ministry of Culture and their main purpose is to promote and preserve local cultural traditions, exploit cultural abilities from the region and promote an alternative to get to know different cultures.

• Libraries:
• Public Library Rafael Carrillo Luquez and its Consuelo Araújo Noguera Library section, was inaugurated on May 8, 2002; created with the main purpose of contributing to social, educational and cultural development of the community with an initial collection of about 12,000 volumes in all areas of human knowledge. It has achieved up to date, a space for kids, youth and adults, it has given access to all users in this society to literature workshops, plastic arts, music, conferences, expositions and local writer's book presentations.

General collection and reference: It has one lecture room with a capacity for a hundred people, with open shelves and open access to collections for users. Children's room and workshop: independently, it also has a lecture and workshop room for children, with a collection specialized in children and youth's literature, as well as audiovisual materials and other elements to work in plastic arts. In this room, starting at 10 A.M. on Saturdays, a project of story telling goes on called "La Hora del Cuento" (the story time) and on Fridays at 4 P.M. the presentation of movies for children.

• • On-line catalog: this system helps localize information that users need and contains local bibliographical material information that it's connected to the Banco de la Republica's national libraries network.
  • Audiovisual Services: the library also has three individual cubicles for the use of audiovisual material, mostly containing cultural and scientific.

• Shopping Center:

Guatapurí plaza shopping center is in the north of the city, near the "Parque de la leyenda Vallenata". Constructed by Conconcreto, the complex was started in November 2007, with three major sections:

• Shopping center: Opened in 2008, it features more than 50 retail stores, including restaurants and a Carrefour supermarket.
• Theatre: It was opened 28 November 2008. It is operated by Cinemark, and it has 4 screens.
• Hotel: The Sonesta Hotel opened in 2009.

Sports[link]

Valledupar has a football (soccer) team called Valledupar FC, which plays in the Colombian second division. Martial arts (taekwondo, judo and karate) cycling, roller skating, basketball, softball, volleyball, and athletics (track and field) are also practiced. Almacen Caribe and Almacen Venecia located in front of the Plaza Alfonzo lopez

Symbols[link]

Alfonso Lopez Plaza in downtown Valledupar with a view of the "marching revolution" monument and the cityhall.

City Anthem[link]

See: Hymn of Valledupar Valledupar's anthem, named Himno de Valledupar, was established in 1984 by then Major of Valledupar, Miguel Meza Valera by public contest. The winner was Rita Fernandez Padilla, a composer from nearby Santa Marta, with music arranged by Carlos Julio Parra.

Flag[link]

The flag has three horizontal equal stripes of different colors;

• The top blue; symbolizes the sky and the rivers that flow through the region.
• The center white, symbolizes the white snow peaks of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain and the wished peace.
• The bottom red symbolizes the sacrifices of the many through history who have helped develop Valledupar.

Coat of Arms[link]

The coat of arms was recently redesigned to meet new identities of Valledupar that now included the vallenato musical instruments;

• The crown on top with three peaks symbolizes the three kings that visited Jesus and also resembles the Spanish heritage and history of Valledupar, once part of the Spanish monarchy.
• The letters read the full name of Valledupar in Spanish; City of the holy kings of Valledupar.
• The top left picture shows the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain snowy peaks.
• The top right pictures the three main instruments of the Vallenato music; an accordion, a caja and a guacharaca.
• the bottom left picture shows a bull symbolizing the cattle raising and ranching.
• The bottom right symbolizes the agriculture; with the three main produces pictured; cotton, coffee and sorghum.

Media and Services[link]

The Cacique Upar statue honoring the great native American that ruled the valley.

• Newspapers: El Tiempo, El Espectador, El Heraldo, El Pilon, Vanguardia Liberal.

• Radio broadcasters: (F.M. (3)) Olimpica Stereo, Maravilla Stereo, Rumba Stereo. (A.M. (4)) Caracol Radio, RCN Radio, Todelar Cadena Nacional, Radionet

• TV Broadcasters: (3) Caracol TV, RCN TV and Telecaribe

• Cable TV and Satellite TV: (4) TV Cable Valledupar (later was called Satelcaribe and after that it was bought by Telmex), DirecTV and Telefonica

• Internet provider (s): (2) Telecom Colombia, Edatel

Transportation[link]

Bus terminal of Valledupar

Valledupar has four different land entrances, and it's crossed by national highway route 80 from south to north. Route 80 is still under-construction, a segment between the village of Badillo via the village of Patillal and the town of San Juan del Cesar in the department of La Guajira. as an alternative route 80 also crosses the town of La Paz in order to drive north to the northern department of La Guajira. To the south, the route 80 highway communicates with the rest of Colombia including northern regions of Colombia, like Santa Marta, Barranquilla and Cartagena; Colombia's caribbean coast; to the west two road access to some other villages to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

Valledupar's Land transportation terminal provides national and international services through sixteen different transportation companies. Four of whom make trips to rural areas of the municipality. In the urban area transportation services are provided by taxis, and by private and government bus companies covering the entire city by shared routes. Lately, a new form of transportation was born, informal Auto rickshaws (mototaxismo), taking illegally over the bus and taxi services, to a point that are making them go bankrupt. The local government is attempting to penalize the use of Auto rickshaw for safety reasons and are also operating illegally, but because there are so many and tend to violently protest, the issue became difficult.

In Aerial transportation, Valledupar has only a medium sized airport for medium and small aircraft; the Alfonso Lopez Airport that receives national and somee charter flights.

How 2 get there…. Getting to Valledupar itself should be no problem; communicates with all Colombia, including northern and south, like Medellin, Bogotá, Bucaramanga, Santa Marta, Mompox, Rioacha, Maicao, Barranquilla and Cartagena; Colombia's Caribbean coast.

From the bus terminal: Valledupar has differents land entrances, and it's crossed by national highway route from south to north. The easiest way is to take a taxi which will cost around $4500, ask the taxi driver to let you of in the “Centro”, one block away from the "Plaza Alfonso Lopez". From the airport: - AIR It is possible to arrive to Valledupar by plane to the airport Alfonso López. Only two airlines cover this route: Avianca and LAN. You are advised to book and reconfirm in high season. The easiest way is to take a taxi which will cost around $7000, ask the taxi driver to let you of in the “Centro”, one block away from the "Plaza Alfonso Lopez".

TRANSPORTATION - BUS • In the urban area transportation services are provided by taxis and by private bus companies covering the entire city by shared routes. Lately, a new form of transportation was born, informal Auto (mototaxi).

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Dangon Ovalle, Jaime (November 1987), El Cesar, Hijo del Amor, Valledupar: Departamento del Cesar .

• Gutierrez Hinojosa, Tomas Dario (2000), Valledupar Musica de una Historia, Bogotá: Editorial Grijalbo LTDA, ISBN 958-639-175-2 

• Araujonoguera, Consuelo (2002), Trilogia Vallenata, Colombia: Proyecto Editorial Babilonia, ISBN 958-33-3360-3 

• Castro Trespalacios, Pedro (1979), Culturas Aborigenes Cesarences e Independencia de Valle de Upar, Bogotá: Casa de la Cultura de Valledupar 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Valledupar

• City of Valledupar – official website (Spanish)

	v t e Department of Cesar Valledupar (capital)
Geography	Climate | Mountains | Rivers | Fauna | Flora | Protected areas | Environmental issues |
History	Timeline | Province of Padilla | History of Valledupar |
Government	Governor (Department Secretaries) | Department Assembly | Superior Tribunal of Valledupar | Military and police |
Politics	Political movements | Election | Political scandals |
Demography	Migration | Health care | Human rights | Illegal drug trade | Water supply and sanitation | Education |
Economy	Agriculture | Banking | Taxation | Communications | Energy and mining | Transportation | Companies | Poverty |
Culture	Music | Dances | Architecture | Art | Cuisine | Languages | Literature | Media | Sports | Tourism | Symbols | Mythology |
Municipalities	Aguachica | Astrea | Becerril | Bosconia | Chimichagua | Chiriguana | Codazzi | Curumani | El Copey | El Paso | Gamarra | González | La Gloria | La Jagua de Ibirico | Manaure | Pailitas | Pelaya | Pueblo Bello | Rio de Oro | Robles La Paz | San Alberto | San Diego | San Martín | Tamalameque | Valledupar |

Silvestre Francisco Dangond Corrales aka Silvestrong (Born May 12, 1980 in Urumita, La Guajira) is a Colombian Vallenato singer, composer and Timbales player. Dangond is considered one of the mainstream representatives of the "new wave" of vallenato musicians.

2002: Early career and group with Román Lopéz[link]

After graduating from high school Dangond dedicated in full to music. He grouped with amateur accordion player Ramón López and after performing in some parties and gigs they recorded their first album in 2002 called "Tanto para tí" which included 12 songs; Nada te conmueve composed by Fabian Corrales, Necesito verte by Juan Manuel Perez, No te escondas mas by Felipe Pelaez, Mi encantadora egoista by Alberto Murgas, Quien me mando of his own authorship, Un amor tan grande by Freddy Carrillo, Muñeca de porcelana by Luis Alonso, Que no me roben tu corazón by Antonio Meriño, Lloraras un amor by Jaime Bayona, La flor mas linda by Armando Moscote, El extorcionista by Carlos Ramirez and Tanto para ti by Freddy Carrillo. It was during this time that he met his friend and also vallenato singer Kaleth Morales.

2003-2011: Rise to national prominence and group with Juando De la Espriella[link]

By pure coincidence and through friend in common, manager and promoter Carlos Blum, Dangond officially met accordionist Juancho De la Espriella during a serenata (De la Espriella was grouped with singer Peter Manjarrez). Both of them knew who the other was but had never crossed words. Since that day they became good friends. Blum then convinced them to become a musical duo and arranged their first gig together at the Alfonso López Michelsen Building in a celebration of the Cesar Department foundation.

Lo mejor para los dos (The best for the two of us - Album) Their musical union created great buzz within the vallenato critics and fans, and shortly they recorded their first album together named titled Lo mejor para los dos (2003) containing 13 tracks; La pinta chevere of Dangond's authorship, Nuestra vida by Jose Hernandez, Detalles y recuerdos by Enrique Carrascal, Mi amor por ella by Omar Geles, Ni en pintura by Dagoberto Osorio, El ring ring by Luis Alonso, Sabroso by Hernando Marin, Dejame quererte by Alejandro Sarmiento, No se, me equivoque by Rafael Manjarrez, La razon de mi vivir by Ivan Calderon, El chinchorrito by Alejo Duran, Me vuelve loquito by Josue Rodriguez and Lo mejor para los dos by Kaleth Morales. Dangond and De la Espriella performed in more than 250 shows throughout 2003, most of them in December with 28 presentations.[1]

Mas unidos que nunca (More united than ever - Album)

Their following album was Mas unidos que nunca, released on June 13, 2004 containing 14 songs which included one unplugged bonus track; Cautico mi canto of Dangond's authorship, El vaiven by Hernando Bustos, A blanco y negro by Omar Geles, La Colegiala of Dangond's authorship, Yo no me como ese cuento by Dagoberto Osorio, Acepto el reto by Luis Egurrola, Pa Barranquilla of Dangond's authorship, Me la juego toda by Kaleth Morales, Baila Vallenato by Leo Duran, La Mentira by Wilfran Castillo, Cuando llego en temple by Armando Romero, Celos y que by Luis Alonso, La mujer de mis sueños by Unknown author and La colegiala unplugged version. With this album Dangond and De la Espriella consolidated as one of the most successful vallenato groups in this genre thanks to the acceptance of their hit song La colegiala.[2]

Ponte a la moda (Put up your style - Album) In 2005 Dangond and De la Espriella released their third album together titled Ponte a la moda which also became a great success in Colombia and outside Colombia, especially within the Latin American community in the united States. The Album included the songs; Ahi viene ahi va of Dangond's authorship, Pa una mujer bonita by Omar Geles, Dile by Alberto Mercado, El tao tao by Lucho Perez, Mi seguidora y yo by Kaleth Morales, Esa mirada by Enrique Araujo, La pareja del momento by Jeiner Lopez, La misteriosa by Isaac Calvo, Ponte a la moda by Luis Alonso, Silvetre en Carnaval by Various artists, Una vez mas by Luis Egurrola, El enredo by Manuel Julian, Por ser machista of Dangond's authorship and La indiferencia (live unplugged) by Luis Alonso.

Dangond is the son of amateur singer William José Dangond Baquero and Dellys Corrales Rojas and has one brother, Carlos Ivan. He is married to childhood sweetheart Pieri Avendaño and they have 2 children, Luis Jose and Silvestre.

Discography[link]

• Tanto para tí (2002)
• Lo Mejor Para Los Dos (2003)
• Mas Unidos Que Nunca (2004)
• Ponte A La Moda (2005)
• La Fama (2006)
• El Original (2008)
• El Cantinero (2010)
• No Me Compares Con Nadie (2011)

References[link]

• Silvestre Dangond official website
• El Vallenato - Silvestre Dangond
• El Vallenato - Silvestre Dangond y Juancho de la Espriella fueron los grandes triunfadores de los Premios Luna
• El Heraldo: Gente Caribe - Silvestre DANGOND y Juan Mario DE LA ESPRIELLA, Más unidos que nunca

http://silvestristave.spaces.live.com/

v t e Vallenato Musicians Renowned vallenato musicians Alejo Durán • Alfredo Gutierrez • Diomedes Diaz • Fonseca • Colacho Mendoza • Rafael Escalona • Emiliano Zuleta • Jorge Oñate • Iván Villazón • Kaleth Morales • Silvestre Dangond • Carlos Vives • Juancho De la Espriella • The Children of Vallenato

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Rafael Orozco Flores (24 January 1946 – 25 April 1996) was a Spanish classical pianist. Orozco is acclaimed as one of the great Spanish concert pianists.^[1]

Rafael Orozco came from a musical family in Córdoba and studied with José Cubiles,^[2] Alexis Weissenberg^[3] and Maria Curcio, the last and favourite pupil of Artur Schnabel.^[4] His professional career began after he won first prize in the 1966 Leeds International Piano Competition in the UK.

His large repertoire included works by Franz Liszt, Franz Schubert, Manuel de Falla, Sergei Rachmaninoff^[5] and Isaac Albéniz. He gave recitals on five continents and participated as soloist with the world's great orchestras, including Cleveland, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Berlin, Vienna, Paris, and London. Orozco also participated in music festivals at Osaka, Praga, Berlin, Santander, Edimburg, Spoleto, and Aldeburgh.

Orozco's playing was used in Ken Russell's 1970 film The Music Lovers, based on the life of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

In 1986, Córdoba awarded Orozco the Gold Medal of the city and the title of Hijo Predilecto (Favourite Son).^[2]

Orozco died in 1996. The Conservatorio Superior de Música Rafael Orozco in Córdoba is named in his honour.^[6]

References[link]