Calixto Ochoa
Calixto Ochoa | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Calixto Antonio Ochoa Campo |
| Born | 14 August 1934 Valencia de Jesús, Colombia |
| Died | 18 November 2015 (aged 81) Sincelejo, Colombia |
| Genres | vallenato |
| Spouse | Dulzaide Bermúdez[1] |
Calixto Antonio Ochoa Campo (1934–2015) was a Colombian accordionist and songwriter. He won the accordionist competition of the Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata in 1970, was a member of Los Corraleros de Majagual, and composed over 120 songs that were recorded by artists including Diomedes Díaz and Wilfrido Vargas.
Biography
[edit]Calixto Ochoa was born on 14 August 1934 in Valencia de Jesús, in the Colombian department of Cesar (but at that time still in Magdalena).[2]
As a child Ochoa watched his brothers Juan and Rafael play accordion at vallenato parrandas.[3] After buying his own accordion, he learned to play the songs of Luis Enrique Martínez.[1] Ochoa moved to Sincelejo, and at the age of 21 recorded his first song, "El Lirio Rojo", which attracted the attention of Antonio Fuentes, owner of Discos Fuentes.[1][3] In 1962, when Ochoa was at "the height of his fame", he joined Los Corraleros de Majagual at the invitation of Fuentes, with whom he toured several countries in the Americas.[4][2]
Ochoa won the accordionist competition at the third Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata in 1970. In 2005 the Festival gave him the title "King for life" (Spanish: Rey vitalicio), alongside Rafael Escalona, Emiliano Zuleta, Leandro Díaz, and Adolfo Pacheco.[3]
Ochoa died on 18 November 2015 in Sincelejo.[3] His body was displayed at the Iglesia La Concepción in Valledupar, and then moved to his birthplace Valencia de Jesús on 20 November, where he was buried.[5]
Musical style and compositions
[edit]Ochoa was a prolific songwriter in the Colombian genre of vallenato. His notable compositions include "Los Sabanales", "Diana", "El Calabacito", "El Mosquito", "El Africano", and "Playas Marinas".[2] In total he wrote over 120 songs.[6]
Ochoa was the favourite songwriter of Diomedes Díaz, who recorded more than 30 of his compositions, including "La Plata" and "Los Sabanales".[4] His song "El Africano" was made popular by Wilfrido Vargas and recorded by La Sonora Dinamita, Fruko y sus Tesos, Ray Conniff and Georgie Dann.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Juan Carlos Piedrahíta B. (2015-11-19), "Calixto Ochoa, el retratista de aquellos sabanales", El Espectador (in Spanish), retrieved 2025-04-20
- ^ a b c Vanesa Restrepo (2015-11-18), "Falleció el cantautor vallenato Calixto Ochoa", El Colombiano (in Spanish), retrieved 2025-04-19
- ^ a b c d e Carlos Galilea (2015-12-02), "Calixto Ochoa, rey de la música vallenata", El País (in Spanish), retrieved 2025-04-19
- ^ a b Jhonatan Diaz (2020-11-18), "Cinco años sin Calixto Ochoa, un pícaro juglar", El Heraldo (in Spanish), retrieved 2025-04-19
- ^ "Calixto Ochoa es despedido en Valledupar", El Espectador (in Spanish), 2015-11-19, retrieved 2025-04-19
- ^ José I. Pinilla Aguilar (1980). "Ochoa Calixto". Cultores de la Música Colombiana (in Spanish). Editorial Ariana. pp. 315–316. OCLC 253182806.
External links
[edit]- Calixto Ochoa discography at Discogs
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
