Totó la Momposina, the legendary Colombian singer who brought cumbia and other folk music to the world stage, has died at the age of 85. Her three children announced her passing due to a heart attack on Instagram, stating that she carried the culture and memory of the Colombian people worldwide.
A Life Dedicated to Music
Born Sonia Bazanta Vides in 1940 in Talaigua Nuevo, northern Colombia, Totó grew up in a family of musicians. After moving to Bogotá, she adopted the stage name Totó la Momposina, combining her childhood nickname with a reference to the Mompós region. By the late 1960s, she was leading her own band, Totó La Momposina y Sus Tambores, and gained fame in Colombia, culminating in a residency at New York's Radio City Music Hall in 1974.
However, in 1979 she was blacklisted for leftist political leanings and fled to France, where she performed in streets and markets. She joined the cultural delegation for Gabriel García Márquez's Nobel Prize ceremony in 1982, and her debut album Cantadora followed in 1983. International recognition came through Peter Gabriel's Real World Records, starting with La Candela Viva in 1993.
Musical Legacy and Influence
Totó's music blended African and Indigenous roots, encompassing styles like chandé, mapalé, and bullerengue. She viewed traditional music as living and evolving, not static folklore. Her song Curura was sampled by Timbaland and Magoo in 2003's Indian Flute, and later by Major Lazer, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, and others. She also collaborated with Calle 13 on Latinoamérica in 2011.
Honours and Tributes
In 2013, she received a Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2016, the French government made her a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres. Colombian President Gustavo Petro called her a luminary of Caribbean art and culture. Totó's evangelistic mission to spread Colombian music succeeded, leaving an indelible mark on global music.
