Vallenato folklore, that world made up of so many talented figures, is currently in mourning.
For the departure of the legendary accordion player and fifth king of the Vallenata Legend, Miguel López Gutiérrez, born in the municipality of La Paz, but recognized as its own in the country that loves authentic vallenato.
We regret that, during the funeral ceremonies of this accordion master, the solemnity of the greatness of the musician who was saying goodbye, called to summon the best of the vallenato musical genre, was not perceived, as expected.
The absence of the kings was noted, especially the Kings of Kings like Hugo Carlos, El Cocha and Almes, executors of a line that this other ‘old Miguel’ drew with his notes, always remembered for the magical interpretation of ‘the basses ‘.
“There is no explanation for why these folklore figures did not attend, the only logic that could be applied would be contractual commitments, but this was in the middle of the week, so we do not understand what happened,” commented the folklore historian. Celso Guerra Gutiérrez.
That same feeling, but to a lesser extent, remained with Jorge Oñate’s farewell, although it was to be expected due to all the limitations resulting from the then feared Covid-19.
It hurts to think that our musicians prefer to prioritize commercial commitments over the unique moments of our folklore. Any statement on this situation from the Festival Foundation? From Sayco? Because the vallenato world would be left with a debt to the memory of the maestro Miguel López Gutiérrez and a sculpture turned into a caricature.
Botero. A universal loss
It is a loss that goes beyond the national borders of the plastic arts artist, Fernando Botero. For his international recognition, leaving an example, mark and work in many countries, in the great museums, avenues and parks of the main cities of the world, his first newspaper illustrations as a teenager in El Colombiano de Medellín, his stance against violence national and global and his selfless gesture of donating a good part of his expensive work to our country. The good art, its peculiar forms and the aesthetics in his paintings and sculptures stand out. By remembering the good and disciplined teacher, it is an opportunity, first, to highlight the need to open the Museum of Art and Archeology of Valledupar, MAV, and, second, that the city’s sculptures do not lose the quality and aesthetics, which They marked works such as the Revolution on the March, María Mulata, El Pedazo de Acordeón, Los Gallos, in the face of such a profusion of acrylics and resins in distinction to our folklore characters, which Carlos López Gutiérrez from Fundanense has noticed upon returning to his hometown. .
“What is coming, if it is not stopped, is a horrible, irreparable, and infinite flood, if you count all the accordion players, singers, composers, cashiers, guacharaqueros and parranderos who are waiting for their turn.”
The entry The sad goodbye to our glories of culture was first published in El Pilón | News from Valledupar, El Vallenato and the Colombian Caribbean.
