- Leandro Díaz
Infobox musical artist 2
Name = Leandro Díaz
Background = composer
Birth_name =
Alias =
Born =Birth date and age|1928|2|20|mf=y
Height =
Origin =Hatonuevo , La Guajira
Colombia
Instruments =Singing
Genre =Vallenato , Latin
Occupation(s) =composer
Years_active = 1935–present
Label =
Related_acts =Ivo Diaz &Colacho Mendoza
URL =
Current_members =
Past_members =Leandro José Díaz Duarte (born
February 20 ,1928 inHatonuevo , La Guajira) is aColombia nvallenato music composer. He is mostly known for his ability to compose very descriptive and narrative vallenato songs despite his blindness. His songs have been recorded by many prominent Colombian musicians includingCarlos Vives ,Diomedes Diaz ,Jorge Oñate ,Ivan Villazon , among others.During the 38th version of the
Vallenato Legend Festival , Diaz was proclaimed "King for Life of the Vallenato Legend Festival" alongRafael Escalona ,Emiliano Zuleta Baquero ,Calixto Ochoa ,Adolfo Pacheco andTobías Enrique Pumarejo . cite web | author = Boletin de Prensa - Festival Vallenato | url =http://www.elvallenato.com/noticias/362/Rafael-Escalona,-Emiliano-Zuleta-Baquero,-Leandro-Diaz,-Calixto-Ochoa-Y-Adolfo-Pachecho:-Reyes-Vitalicios-de-la-Cancion-Vallenata.htm | title = Rafael Escalona, Emiliano Zuleta Baquero, Leandro Diaz, Calixto Ochoa Y Adolfo Pachecho: Reyes Vitalicios de la Cancion Vallenata | work = elvallenato.com | date = March 11, 2005| accessdate = 2008-03-26 | language = Spanish]Early years
Diaz was born in a farm named "La Casa de Alto Pino" in the locality known as Lagunita de la Sierra then corregimiento of Hatonuevo in the Commissary of La Guajira which in 1928 pertained to the municipality of Barrancas. cite web | author = Tary Escalona| url =http://www.vallenatofm.com/es/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=838 | title =Leandro Díaz: Felíz cumpleaños | work = Vallenato FM| date = Fecruary 20, 2008| accessdate = 2008-03-26 | language = Spanish] cite web | author = Revista Cromos No.4036 | url =http://www.colarte.arts.co/recuentos/Compositores/DiazLeandro/recuento.htm | title =Leandro Díaz: El Homero Criollo | work = Revista Cromos | date = June 5, 1995| accessdate = 2008-03-26 | language = Spanish]
Diaz was born blind but this did not an impediment for him to develop a sense of the world he could not see. His parents took him to the Virgin of El Carmen festivities every year, vacation time in which his cousins visited him and sang to him for fun. cite web | author = Tary Escalona| url =http://www.vallenatofm.com/es/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=838 | title =Leandro Díaz: Felíz cumpleaños | work = Vallenato FM| date = Fecruary 20, 2008| accessdate = 2008-03-26 | language = Spanish] He composed his first song at the age of 17 years old and named it "La Loba de Ceniza". cite web | author = Revista Cromos No.4036 | url =http://www.colarte.arts.co/recuentos/Compositores/DiazLeandro/recuento.htm | title =Leandro Díaz: El Homero Criollo | work = Revista Cromos | date = June 5, 1995| accessdate = 2008-03-26 | language = Spanish]
On October 4, 1948 Diaz decided to move to
Hatonuevo where he participated in numerous parties with friends and which he was always asked to sing. He met local musician "Chico Bolaño" and established a friendship. Bolaño died shortly, death that inspired Diaz to compose the song "Mañana". cite web | author = Tary Escalona| url =http://www.vallenatofm.com/es/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=838 | title =Leandro Díaz: Felíz cumpleaños | work = Vallenato FM| date = Fecruary 20, 2008| accessdate = 2008-03-26 | language = Spanish]Life in Tocaimo
Diaz began to travel the region as a singer and established for a while in village of
Tocaimo , located in theDepartment of Cesar , between the municipalities ofCodazzi and San Diego. while living in Tocaimo, Diaz composed the song "La Trampa de los Tocaimeros", in which he mentioned every single family name in town. He also composed two of his most renown songs "Matilde Lina" and the "Diosa Coronada" whose intro insipired Colombian Nobel in LiteratureGabriel Garcia Marquez and appeared in the beginning of the novel "Love in the Time of Cholera ". cite web | author = Tary Escalona| url =http://www.vallenatofm.com/es/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=838 | title =Leandro Díaz: Felíz cumpleaños | work = Vallenato FM| date = Fecruary 20, 2008| accessdate = 2008-03-26 | language = Spanish]He also composed during time the songs "La Primavera" and "La Trampa" among others. Another hit song, recorded by vallenato singer
Jorge Oñate , was "A mi no me Consuela Nadie". Diaz met vallenato accordionistPedro Julio Castro , a native ofSan Juan del Cesar and traveled the region for gigs. cite web | author = Tary Escalona| url =http://www.vallenatofm.com/es/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=838 | title =Leandro Díaz: Felíz cumpleaños | work = Vallenato FM| date = Fecruary 20, 2008| accessdate = 2008-03-26 | language = Spanish]Family
Diaz then met Elena Clementina Ramos, with whom he ended up having eight children, including singer
Ivo Diaz . In 1993 Ivo composed the song "Dame tu Alma" to honor his father. The song won at theVallenato Legend Festival as best song. cite web | author = Tary Escalona| url =http://www.vallenatofm.com/es/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=838 | title =Leandro Díaz: Felíz cumpleaños | work = Vallenato FM| date = Fecruary 20, 2008| accessdate = 2008-03-26 | language = Spanish]Quotes
cquote|I think God didn't put eyes on my face because he took his time to put eyes in my soul cite web | author = Revista Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata
url =http://www.elvallenato.com/artistas/biografia.php?artista=120&mas=Leandro%20Diaz | title =Leandro Díaz | work = Revista Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata | date = 2001| accessdate = 2008-03-26 | language = Spanish]ee also
*
Vallenato Legend Festival
*Carlos Vives
*Jorge Oñate
*Rafael Escalona References
External links
*es icon [http://www.colarte.arts.co/recuentos/Compositores/DiazLeandro/recuento.htm Colarte: Leandro Diaz]
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