Iván Villazón
Encyclopedia
Iván Francisco Villazón Aponte was born October 25, 1959 in the city of Valledupar
, Colombia
. He is one of the most renowned vallenato
singers in Colombia. His career as a singer began in 1984 after dropping out of college where he was pursuing a degree in law.
, Adán Montero, Ovidio Granados, Rodolfo Castilla and Alejo Duran
, among many others. For high school Villazon was sent to the city of Bogotá
to study in the Colegio REFOUS. After graduation he spent four years in college studying law in the Externado University but dropped out to pursue a vallenato singing career.
label and named it the Arco Iris (Rainbow) featuring a song of the same name written by Rafael Escalona
. The album was a success and the song is still considered his trademark.
In 1985 he teamed up with accordion player Orangel Maestre and released a new album under the same record label with the name Una Voz, Un Rey. Three songs from this album became major hits: Mella Condolete by composer Hernando Marin, Pedazo de Acordeon by Alejo Duran and Sufrir de nuevo by van Ovalle.
In 1986 Villazon joined with accordion player Raul Martinez
to record two albums, Los Virtuosos and Vamo' Amanece, under the CBS record label
(now Columbia Records). The award-winning song El amor es un cultivo recorded in this album became a major hit, along with Sed de alma and Matica de toronjil. In 1987 they recorded their third album named Los Virtuosos Volumen II, producing two major hits; Recuérdame written by singer and composer Gustavo Gutiérrez Cabello and Yo tenia un amigo written by composer Rafael Manjarrez. Personal differences arose between Villazon and Martinez and they decided to separate.
In 1988 Villazon teamed up with accordion player and Vallenato Legend Festival
winner Cocha molina who had been the partner of Diomedes Diaz
. They recorded the album Por ti Valledupar from which they produced three major hits; No espero mas by composer Efren Calderon, Que siga la fiesta by José Alfonso Maestre and Por ti Valledupar of Gustavo Gutierrez, under the CBS record label. In 1989 they recorded their second album together named Enamorado de ella with hit songs Mis Condiciones by Gustavo Gutierrez and Enamorado de ella by Rafael Manjarrez. In 1990 they recorded their third album under the CBS record label titled El Amor Canta Vallenato with the hit songs Mi novia querida by Gustavo Gutierrez, El Amor Canta Vallenato by Ignasio Urbina and Volá pajarito by Alejo Duran.
This same year Villazon and Molina decided to go their different ways and Villazon teamed up with accordion player Beto Villa to record the album La Compañía
under the recording label EMI
. This album represents his most successful album because all of the album's songs became major hits on radio, including El Perdón, El Niño Bonito, La Suegra, El Guayabito and La Fuerza del Amor. After this successful production Villazon and Beto Villa split and Villazon took two years off from the stage and recording studios.
In 1993 Villazon worked with accordion player Franco Arguelles and recorded the album Mar de Lagrimas on the Colombian record label CODISCOS, with the hit songs Quereme by Juancho Rois
, Cuando hablo de Tí by Iván Ovalle and a musical mosaic honoring Pacho Galán
. In 1994, they recorded their second album together named Noticias, producing successful songs like Decídete by Fabián Corrales, Noticias by Efraín Barliza and Acabaste con mí Vida by Juancho Rois. This year the group won the Congo de Oro prize in the Barranquilla's Carnival
, the Sirena de Oro in the Vallenato Legend Festival
and the Super Estrella Internacional de Oro song of the year for the song Decídete by Fabian Corrales. The group also achieved prominence internationally in locations where vallenato is not part of the mainstream, like Cuba
, Canada
and Aruba
. In 1996 Villazon and Arguelles recorded the album Sin Limites under the record label CODISCOS in which a fusion with other musical genres was tried with songs like Almas Felices by Alfonso Cotes Maya, La Pelionera by Emiliano Zuleta
and Cuando muera esta ilusión by Luis Egurrola. This collaboration was not widely successful. They later changed record labels to BMG Ariola of Colombia
, recording the album Entrégate
with songs like No te ruego más by Jorge Valbuena, Entrégate by Fabián Corrales, Yo la Ví by Jacobo Ibarra and Marcos Torres, and Corazón Sensible by Franco Arguelles. This album earned a Disco de Oro for its sales and a second Congo de Oro. In 1999 Villazon and Arguelles released the albums Tiempo de Vallenato and later Detalles.
In 2000 Arguelles left the group to record an album with Diomedes Diaz. Villazon partnered with Saul Lallemand producing the following albums; El Mundo al Reves, Amores, Juglares Legendarios I, Póngale la Firma, El Desafío, El Gallo Fino, El Poder del Amor and El Aviador.
Albums:
Lucas Francisco, Carolina and Francisco Villazon are Ivan's brother children.
Valledupar
Valledupar is a city and municipality in northeastern Colombia. It is the capital of Cesar Department and was founded in 1550 by the Spanish conquistador Hernando de Santana. Its name, Valle de Upar , was established in honor of the Amerindian cacique who ruled the valley; Cacique Upar...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. He is one of the most renowned vallenato
Vallenato
Vallenato, along with cumbia, is currently a popular folk music of Colombia. It primarily comes from the Colombia's Caribbean region. Vallenato literally means "born in the valley". The valley influencing this name is located between the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Serranía de Perijá in...
singers in Colombia. His career as a singer began in 1984 after dropping out of college where he was pursuing a degree in law.
Early life
Villazon spent his childhood in the city Valledupar where he attended middle school in the Colegio María Montessori. He grew up loving "parrandas" (parties) that his father Crispin organized with local musicians like Colacho MendozaColacho Mendoza
Nicolas Elias Mendoza Daza, also known as Colacho Mendoza was a Colombian Vallenato accordion player and was crowned king of accordion players on many occasions in the Vallenato Legend Festival. He was born in a small village called Sabanas de Manuela in the municipality of Barrancas, La Guajira...
, Adán Montero, Ovidio Granados, Rodolfo Castilla and Alejo Duran
Alejo Duran
Gilberto Alejandro Durán Diaz, known to all as Alejo Durán or "El Negro Grande" was a Colombian vallenato music traditional composer, singer and accordionist....
, among many others. For high school Villazon was sent to the city of Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
to study in the Colegio REFOUS. After graduation he spent four years in college studying law in the Externado University but dropped out to pursue a vallenato singing career.
Singing career
In 1984 Villazon recorded his first album with accordion player Alfredo Gámez under the Philips RecordsPhilips Records
Philips Records is a record label that was founded by Dutch electronics company Philips. It was started by "Philips Phonographische Industrie" in 1950. Recordings were made with popular artists of various nationalities and also with classical artists from Germany, France and Holland. Philips also...
label and named it the Arco Iris (Rainbow) featuring a song of the same name written by Rafael Escalona
Rafael Escalona
Rafael Calixto Escalona Martinez was a Colombian composer and troubadour. He was known for being one of the most prominent vallenato music composers and troubadours of the genre and for being the co-founder of the Vallenato Legend Festival, along with Consuelo Araújo and Alfonso López Michelsen.He...
. The album was a success and the song is still considered his trademark.
In 1985 he teamed up with accordion player Orangel Maestre and released a new album under the same record label with the name Una Voz, Un Rey. Three songs from this album became major hits: Mella Condolete by composer Hernando Marin, Pedazo de Acordeon by Alejo Duran and Sufrir de nuevo by van Ovalle.
In 1986 Villazon joined with accordion player Raul Martinez
Raúl Martínez
Publio Amable Raúl Martínez González, known as Raúl Martínez, was a Cuban painter, designer and graphic artist...
to record two albums, Los Virtuosos and Vamo' Amanece, under the CBS record label
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
(now Columbia Records). The award-winning song El amor es un cultivo recorded in this album became a major hit, along with Sed de alma and Matica de toronjil. In 1987 they recorded their third album named Los Virtuosos Volumen II, producing two major hits; Recuérdame written by singer and composer Gustavo Gutiérrez Cabello and Yo tenia un amigo written by composer Rafael Manjarrez. Personal differences arose between Villazon and Martinez and they decided to separate.
In 1988 Villazon teamed up with accordion player and Vallenato Legend Festival
Vallenato Legend Festival
The Vallenato Legend Festival is one of the most important musical festivals in Colombia. The Festival features a vallenato music contests for best interpreter of accordion, caja vallenata and guacharaca, as well as piqueria and best song...
winner Cocha molina who had been the partner of Diomedes Diaz
Diomedes Díaz
Diomedes de Jesús Díaz Maestre is a Colombian vallenato singer and composer. He is the most widely recognized performer of this musical genre...
. They recorded the album Por ti Valledupar from which they produced three major hits; No espero mas by composer Efren Calderon, Que siga la fiesta by José Alfonso Maestre and Por ti Valledupar of Gustavo Gutierrez, under the CBS record label. In 1989 they recorded their second album together named Enamorado de ella with hit songs Mis Condiciones by Gustavo Gutierrez and Enamorado de ella by Rafael Manjarrez. In 1990 they recorded their third album under the CBS record label titled El Amor Canta Vallenato with the hit songs Mi novia querida by Gustavo Gutierrez, El Amor Canta Vallenato by Ignasio Urbina and Volá pajarito by Alejo Duran.
This same year Villazon and Molina decided to go their different ways and Villazon teamed up with accordion player Beto Villa to record the album La Compañía
La Compañía
La Compañía is a Chilean town in the communes of Graneros and Codegua in Cachapoal Province, O'Higgins Region....
under the recording label EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
. This album represents his most successful album because all of the album's songs became major hits on radio, including El Perdón, El Niño Bonito, La Suegra, El Guayabito and La Fuerza del Amor. After this successful production Villazon and Beto Villa split and Villazon took two years off from the stage and recording studios.
In 1993 Villazon worked with accordion player Franco Arguelles and recorded the album Mar de Lagrimas on the Colombian record label CODISCOS, with the hit songs Quereme by Juancho Rois
Juancho Rois
Juan Humberto Rois Zuñiga: popularly known as Juancho Rois and nicknamed El Conejo . He was born on December 25, 1958 in San Juan del Cesar, La Guajira and died November 21, 1994 in Anzoátegui, Venezuela). Juan was a Colombian vallenato musician, accordionist, and composer.-References:...
, Cuando hablo de Tí by Iván Ovalle and a musical mosaic honoring Pacho Galán
Pacho Galan
Pacho Galan was a Colombian composer and band leader of several Colombian music forms, including porro, cumbia, gaita and merercumbe...
. In 1994, they recorded their second album together named Noticias, producing successful songs like Decídete by Fabián Corrales, Noticias by Efraín Barliza and Acabaste con mí Vida by Juancho Rois. This year the group won the Congo de Oro prize in the Barranquilla's Carnival
Barranquilla's Carnival
Barranquilla's Carnaval is Colombia's most important folklore celebration, one of the biggest carnivals in the world. The carnival has traditions that date back to the 19th century...
, the Sirena de Oro in the Vallenato Legend Festival
Vallenato Legend Festival
The Vallenato Legend Festival is one of the most important musical festivals in Colombia. The Festival features a vallenato music contests for best interpreter of accordion, caja vallenata and guacharaca, as well as piqueria and best song...
and the Super Estrella Internacional de Oro song of the year for the song Decídete by Fabian Corrales. The group also achieved prominence internationally in locations where vallenato is not part of the mainstream, like Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
. In 1996 Villazon and Arguelles recorded the album Sin Limites under the record label CODISCOS in which a fusion with other musical genres was tried with songs like Almas Felices by Alfonso Cotes Maya, La Pelionera by Emiliano Zuleta
Emiliano Zuleta
Emiliano Zuleta Baquero was a Colombian vallenato composer, accordion player and singer, popularly known as El viejo Mile . Zuleta was born on January 11, 1912 in La Jagua del Pilar, a small town of la Guajira; He died on October 30, 2005 in Valledupar from respiratory problems...
and Cuando muera esta ilusión by Luis Egurrola. This collaboration was not widely successful. They later changed record labels to BMG Ariola of Colombia
BMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
, recording the album Entrégate
Entrégate
"Entrégate" is a pop song written, produced and arranged by Juan Carlos Calderón, and performed by Mexican singer Luis Miguel. It was released in 1990 as the second single from his Grammy Award nominated studio album 20 Años, and became his fifth number-one single in the Billboard Top Latin Songs...
with songs like No te ruego más by Jorge Valbuena, Entrégate by Fabián Corrales, Yo la Ví by Jacobo Ibarra and Marcos Torres, and Corazón Sensible by Franco Arguelles. This album earned a Disco de Oro for its sales and a second Congo de Oro. In 1999 Villazon and Arguelles released the albums Tiempo de Vallenato and later Detalles.
In 2000 Arguelles left the group to record an album with Diomedes Diaz. Villazon partnered with Saul Lallemand producing the following albums; El Mundo al Reves, Amores, Juglares Legendarios I, Póngale la Firma, El Desafío, El Gallo Fino, El Poder del Amor and El Aviador.
Discography
- El Arco Iris - 1984
- Una voz un rey - 1985
- Vamo' amanecé - 1986
- Los Virtuosos - 1987
- Por Ti Valledupar - 1988
- Enamorado de Ella - 1989
- El Amor Canta Vallenato - 1990
- La Compañía - 1991
- Mar de Lágrimas - 1993
- Noticia - 1994
- Sin Límites - 1995
- Entrégate - 1996
- Tiempo de Vallenato - 1997
- Detalles - 1998
- El Mundo al Revés - 1999
- Amores - 2000
- Juglares Legendarios Vol 1 - 2001
- Póngale la Firma - 2002
- El Desafío - 2002
- El Gallo Fino - 2003
- El Poder del Amor - 2004
- El Sueño de mi vida - 2005
- El Aviador - 2006
- 23 Años de Grandes Exitos-Su Trayectoria [2007]
- Pa' que te enamores [2008] Iván Zuleta
- El Vallenato Mayor [2009] José María Chema Ramos
Family
Villazon is the son of Crispín Villazón de Armas y Clara Aponte López. He married Aida Mercedes García Tolosa and has three children: Crispin Enrique, Iván David and Daniel Camilo.Lucas Francisco, Carolina and Francisco Villazon are Ivan's brother children.