Omar Geles
Omar Geles | |
|---|---|
Geles in 2013 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Omar Antonio Geles Suárez 15 February 1967 Valledupar, Colombia |
| Died | 21 May 2024 (aged 57) Valledupar, Colombia |
| Genres | Vallenato |
| Years active | 1985–2024 |
Spouse | Maren García |
Omar Antonio Geles Suárez[a] (1967–2024) was a Colombian accordionist, singer, and songwriter. He was crowned Vallenato King after winning the accordionist competition of the Vallenato Legend Festival in 1989, and wrote hundreds of songs, which have been recorded by artists including Diomedes Díaz and Patricia Teherán.
Biography
Omar Antonio Geles Suárez was born on 15 February 1967 in Valledupar, in the Colombian department of Cesar, to Hilda Suárez Castilla and Roberto Geles.[1] His father bought him an accordion when he was 4, and he learned to play by listening to vallenato songs like Juancho Polo Valencia's "Lucero Espiritual" on the radio.[1] As a teenager he would play accordion for his mother while she did housework.[1]
Songwriting career
Geles formed the band Los Diablitos with Miguel Morales in 1985; in 2004 the band was renamed La Gente de Omar Geles.[2] Geles wrote his first song "Te Esperaré" in 1986, and recorded it with Los Diablitos.[3]
In total Geles wrote around 900 songs that have been recorded by many different artists, with hits including "Tarde lo Conocí" for Patricia Teherán, "Cuatro Rosas" for Jorge Celedón, "No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti" and "No Intentes" for Diomedes Díaz, "Me Gusta, Me Gusta" and "A Blanco y Negro" for Silvestre Dangond, "Amor a Siete Nares" for Poncho Zuleta, and "El Amor Más Grande del Planeta" for Felipe Peláez.[4][5]
Geles' song "Los Caminos de la Vida", which he wrote about his mother, is one of the most successful vallenato songs.[3] He recorded the song in 1993 with Los Diablitos and Jesús Manuel Estrada, and it has since been recorded over 30 times.[3]
The Vallenato Legend Festival
Geles competed at the Vallenato Legend Festival for the first time in 1981, in the child accordionist category, coming second behind Miguel Avendaño. In 1985 he won in the amateur accordionist category, and in 1987 was King of Kings of the amateur accordionists.[5]
In 1989 Geles won the professional accordionist competition of the Vallenato Legend Festival, and was crowned Vallenato King.[5] He was accompanied by Luis Carlos "Azabache" Varela on caja and Reinaldo "El Papi" Díaz on guacharaca. His winning songs were the paseo "Qué Dolor" (written by Luis Enrique Martínez), the merengue "Yo Tengo una Pena" (Lorenzo Morales), the son "El Regreso" (Romualdo Brito) and the puya "La Fiesta de los Pájaros" (Sergio Moya Molina).[5] Geles competed for the King of Kings title three times, in 1997, 2007, and 2017.[5] Following his death, the 2025 festival was dedicated to him, and he was named posthumous King of Kings.[6]
Personal life and death
Geles was married to Maren García.[7] He had hypertension, and died on 21 May 2024 in Valledupar after having a heart attack while playing tennis.[2]
Notes
- ^ In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Geles and the second or maternal family name is Suárez.
References
- ^ a b c Elena Chafyrtth (22 May 2024), "El monumental legado musical de Omar Geles, el juglar contemporáneo de los últimos tiempos" [The monumental musical legacy of Omar Geles, the modern juglar of recent times], El Tiempo (in Spanish), retrieved 11 September 2025
- ^ a b "Murió el cantautor vallenato Omar Geles, autor de 'Los caminos de la vida'" [Vallenato singer-songwriter Omar Geles, author of 'Los caminos de la vida', has died], Radio Nacional de Colombia (in Spanish), 21 May 2024, retrieved 11 September 2025
- ^ a b c Juan Rincón Vanegas (29 December 2021), "Omar Geles, 35 años haciendo canciones por 'Los caminos de la vida'" [Omar Geles, 35 years writing songs for 'Los caminos de la vida'], Radio Nacional de Colombia (in Spanish), retrieved 11 September 2025
- ^ Pamela Andrea Avendaño Parra (22 May 2024), "Murió Omar Geles: su vida, canciones, amores y anécdotas, de la leyenda vallenata que se fue a los 57 años en Valledupar" [Omar Geles has died: his life, songs, loves, and stories of the vallenato legend who died at 57 in Valledupar], El Tiempo (in Spanish), retrieved 11 September 2025
- ^ a b c d e Tatiana Paola Orozco Mazzilli (1 October 2024), "Definieron fecha del 58° Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata que será en homenaje a Omar Geles" [The date has been set for the 58th Vallenata Legend Festival, which will pay tribute to Omar Geles], Radio Nacional de Colombia (in Spanish), retrieved 11 September 2025
- ^ Anthonny José Galindo Florian (1 May 2025), "¿Quiénes han sido Rey de Reyes en el Festival Vallenato? Omar Geles se unió al prestigioso listado" [Who has been King of Kings at the Vallenato Festival? Omar Geles joined the prestigious list], RCN Radio (in Spanish), retrieved 11 September 2025
- ^ Tatiana Orozco (21 May 2025), "Entre el dolor y la nostalgia, así recuerdan al maestro Omar Geles en Valledupar tras cumplirse un año de su fallecimiento" [Between grief and nostalgia, this is how Omar Geles is remembered in Valledupar one year after his death], Radio Nacional de Colombia (in Spanish), retrieved 11 September 2025
External links
- Omar Geles discography at Discogs