the accordion player Jesus David Valderrama Moraa native of Barranquilla, was crowned as the new Rey Vallenato Amateur in the grand final that was played in the park of the Vallenata Legend Consuelo Araujonoguera.
The young man, accustomed to playing finals, showed security interpreting the walk ‘El pollo vallenato’, by Luis Enrique Martínez, the merengue ‘Los recuerdos de Ochoa’, by Luis Enrique Martínez, the son ‘Los primeros días’, by Samuelito Martínez, and the puya ‘This year I am the king ‘, of his authorship.
On stage he was accompanied on the box by Daniel Andrés Gutiérrez Valle and on the guacharaca by Eligio Guillermo Núñez Mercado.
“I am very happy, I dreamed it so many times, I insisted so many times, I did not give up, and this was my great dream”said.
Although Valderrama Mora did not participate in the Vallenato Festival last year, he has a long history in this event. In 2017 he participated in the youth category, managing to obtain second place and in 2021 he was a finalist in the Amateur category.
Valderrama, who has played the accordion since he was a child, has gone through various schools, including that of ‘El Turco’ Gil. In addition, he belonged to the ‘Niños del Vallenato’.
FINALISTS
Along with the new Rey Vallenato Aficionado, the following accordion players played in the final:
Gregorio Javier Gutierrez, from Riohacha, La Guajira: His appearances at the festival began in 2012 when he competed in the youth category three times in a row, while in Amateur, he began to participate in 2015, 2016 and now this time he won second place.
He won his place in the final with the interpretation of the walk ‘Esperanza’, by Rafael Escalona, the merengue ‘Te vas volano’, by Luis Enrique Martínez, the son ‘Fidelina’, by Alejandro Durán, and the puya ‘De la mano of God’, of his authorship.
Jairo Gacel Moreno Orozco, a native of Difficult, Magdalena: The 27-year-old accordion player has participated in this category four times: in 2019 when he was ranked third, in 2021 when he was ranked second, in 2022 he was ranked third and this year he was ranked third again. place. In addition, he was vallenato viceroy in the children’s category and participated in the youth category.
Edwin Ramírez Medina Orozco, a native of Barranquilla: The 23-year-old completed his ninth participation in the Vallenato Festival, six of which have been in the Amateur category. In 2017 he ranked third in the Rey Vallenato Juvenil contest.
Juan Miguel Martínez Figueroa, from Arjona, Bolívar: He has participated four times in the children’s category where in one of them he achieved third place and twice in the youth category in which he once managed to enter the final. In 2022 in the Amateur category he managed to take second place and this year he played the final again.
