← All storiesGeneralDeveloping story Totó la Momposina, vocalist and Colombian music legend, dies aged 85
The singer was one of her countryâs mostâs popular musical exports, and travelled the world with an evangelistic vision for spreading cumbia music Totó la Momposina, one of the most celebrated musicians in Colombian history, has died aged 85. Her three children announced her death from a heart attack on Instagram. âTotó was a woman who, with her voice and extraordinary dedication, carried the culture and memory of the Colombian people to the far corners of the world,â they added. With a lilting voice charged with an edge of toughness, Totó took various forms of Colombian folk music, including cumbia and porro, to broader international awareness. And her popularity has been maintained, with younger generations of Latin artists sampling her songs. Among those paying tribute was Colombian president Gustavo Petro, who described her as âmy dear friend and a luminary of Colombian Caribbean art and culture ⦠may she soar high to the starsâ. She was born Sonia Bazanta Vides in 1940 in the small town of Talaigua Nuevo in northern Colombia, to a family featuring multiple generations of musicians. After the family moved to Bogotá, she took on the stage name Totó la Momposin

May 21, 2026
latest update
May 20, 2026 → May 21, 2026
KEY PEOPLE, ORGS & TOPICS