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Colombia

Totó la Momposina, Colombian music legend, dies aged 85

Thursday, 21 May 2026, 06:24 · 1 min read

Totó la Momposina (born Sonia Bazanta Vides), one of Colombia's most celebrated musicians and a pioneering figure in bringing traditional Colombian folk music to global audiences, has died of a heart attack aged 85. Her three children announced her death on Instagram, describing how she had carried Colombian culture and memory "to the far corners of the world" through her voice and lifelong dedication. Over a career spanning six decades, she brought genres including cumbia, porro, and bullerengue to international stages — from a 1974 residency at New York's Radio City Music Hall to a recording partnership with Peter Gabriel's Real World Records — and her influence endures through widespread sampling by artists including Jay-Z, Timbaland, and Major Lazer.

Sources
The GuardianTotó la Momposina, vocalist and Colombian music legend, dies aged 85 ↗︎
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