Emiliano Zuleta
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Emiliano Antonio Zuleta Baquero (1912–2005) was a Colombian
vallenato Vallenato () is a popular folk music genre from Colombia. It primarily comes from its Caribbean region. ''Vallenato'' literally means "born in the valley". The valley influencing this name is located between the ''Sierra Nevada de Santa Mar ...
songwriter,
accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...
player and singer, popularly known as ''El Viejo Mile'' (The Old Mile). Around 1938 he wrote "
La Gota Fría LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music *La (musical note), or A, the sixth note *"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smit ...
", a song that emerged from a piqueria with and that years later was recorded by
Carlos Vives Carlos Alberto Vives Restrepo (born 7 August 1961) is a Colombians, Colombian singer, songwriter and actor. One of the List of best-selling Latin music artists, best-selling Latin music artists of all time, with over 20 million records world ...
, turning the song into an international hit.


Biography

Zuleta was born on January 11, 1912, in
La Jagua del Pilar LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music *La (musical note), or A, the sixth note *"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smit ...
(then called La Jagua del Pedregal), a small town in
La Guajira La Guajira () is a departments of Colombia, department of Colombia. It occupies most of the Guajira Peninsula in the northeast region of the country, on the Caribbean Sea and bordering Venezuela, at the northernmost tip of South America. The ca ...
, Colombia. His parents were Cristóbal Zuleta Bermúdez, a guitarist and singer, and Sara María Baquero. Zuleta's mother was known in the
vallenato Vallenato () is a popular folk music genre from Colombia. It primarily comes from its Caribbean region. ''Vallenato'' literally means "born in the valley". The valley influencing this name is located between the ''Sierra Nevada de Santa Mar ...
community as "la vieja Sara", and is referenced by name in several vallenato songs. As a teenager Zuleta learned to play caja and gaita with Cayetano Atencio. At the age of 15 he stole an accordion from his uncle Francisco Salas and taught himself to play. The inaugural accordionist competition of the Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata was held in 1968, and Zuleta competed. He was disqualified after failing to return to the stage for the final round, because he was away celebrating his expected victory with friends. Instead, the competition was won by Alejo Durán. Zuleta competed again in 1971, coming third behind Luis Enrique Martínez and winner Alberto Pacheco. In 2005 the Festival gave him the title "King for life" (Spanish: ), alongside
Rafael Escalona Rafael Calixto Escalona Martinez (May 26, 1926 – May 13, 2009) 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 ...
, Calixto Ochoa, Leandro Díaz, and
Adolfo Pacheco Adolfo Rafael Pacheco Anillo (1940–2023) was a Colombian musician and songwriter. He composed several well-known songs in the Colombian folk music genre of vallenato, notably "La Hamaca Grande" which has been recorded by artists including Joh ...
. Zuleta had 8 children with his wife Carmen Díaz, including Emiliano and Poncho of Los Hermanos Zuleta, and 8 other children for a total of 16. He died on October 30, 2005, in
Valledupar Valledupar () is a city and municipality in northeastern Colombia. It is the capital of Cesar Department. Its name, ''Valle de Upar'' (Valley of Upar), was established in honor of the Amerindian cacique who ruled the valley; ''Cacique Upar''. The ...
,
Cesar Cesar or César may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''César'' (film), a 1936 French romantic drama * ''César'' (play), a play by Marcel Pagnolt Places * Cesar, Portugal * Cesar Department, Colombia * Cesar River, in Colombia * Cesar ...
, from respiratory problems at the age of 93.


Musical style and compositions

Zuleta wrote songs in all four rhythms of
vallenato Vallenato () is a popular folk music genre from Colombia. It primarily comes from its Caribbean region. ''Vallenato'' literally means "born in the valley". The valley influencing this name is located between the ''Sierra Nevada de Santa Mar ...
, starting with his first merengue in 1927, and was particularly known for writing paseos. His notable compositions include "La Gota Fría", "Carmen Díaz", "Con La Misma Fuerza", "Doce Palabras", "El Indio Manuel María", "El Piñal", "El Regreso de Carmen", "El Robo", "El Zorro", "La Enfermedad de Emiliano", "La Pimientica", "La Pule", "Las Enfermeras", "Mis Hijos", "Mis Pocos Días" and "Villanueva".


"La Gota Fría"

Zuleta's best known composition is a
paseo vallenato Vallenato () is a popular folk music genre from Colombia. It primarily comes from its Caribbean region. ''Vallenato'' literally means "born in the valley". The valley influencing this name is located between the ''Sierra Nevada de Santa Mar ...
called "
La Gota Fría LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music *La (musical note), or A, the sixth note *"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smit ...
". The song was written about , born from a piqueria between the two that according to Zuleta lasted about 9 years.
Guillermo Buitrago Guillermo de Jesús Buitrago Henríquez, known as Guillermo Buitrago (1 April 1920, in Ciénaga – 19 April 1949) was a Colombian composer and songwriter of vallenato music. He is one of the most successful composers in his country. His songs be ...
recorded "La Gota Fría" (under the title "Que Criterio") in Ciénaga in 1945. Buitrago claimed authorship of the song, alongside others written by Zuleta that he recorded in the same sessions, but the recordings were not intended to be released commercially, and Buitrago kept them at home. When "La Gota Fría" later became famous, Zuleta had to defend his authorship claim in court against claims by the family of Buitrago, who had died in 1949. In 1994 a version of "La Gota Fría" by
Carlos Vives Carlos Alberto Vives Restrepo (born 7 August 1961) is a Colombians, Colombian singer, songwriter and actor. One of the List of best-selling Latin music artists, best-selling Latin music artists of all time, with over 20 million records world ...
became an international hit. Following that, the song was recorded by other artists including
Gloria Estefan Gloria María Milagrosa Estefan (; ; born September 1, 1957) is an American singer, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is an eight-time Grammy Awards, Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has been named one of t ...
,
Julio Iglesias Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva (; born 23 September 1943) is a Spanish singer and songwriter. Iglesias is recognized as the most commercially successful Spanish singer in the world and one of the top List of best-selling music artists, reco ...
, and
Paloma San Basilio Paloma Cecilia San Basilio Martínez (born 22 November 1950), known as Paloma San Basilio (), is a Spanish singer. She is a recipient of the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for her valuable contributions to Latin music. She has sold ov ...
.
Gabriel García Márquez Gabriel José García Márquez (; 6 March 1927 – 17 April 2014) was a Colombian writer and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo () or Gabito () throughout Latin America. Considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th centur ...
described it as "a perfect song".


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Zuleta, Emiliano 1912 births 2005 deaths 20th-century Colombian male singers Colombian accordionists Colombian songwriters Latin music songwriters Vallenato musicians Respiratory disease deaths in Colombia People from La Guajira Department