Colombian folk singer Tiso Delgado died Friday at 72.
Delgado was a pioneer in spreading Colombian llanero music to a wider audience and was one of the first singers to record a record in 1965.
The singer was famous for many hits, and wrote more than a hundred songs before he retired.
Delgado was born in the eastern plains of Colombia, but moved away after violence in the region caused his family to move elsewhere. When Delgado was a young man, his father passed away and he quickly returned to the flat lands to sing and pay homage to his homeland. Delgado remained in the region for the rest of his life.
In 2002 the Colombian culture ministry honored Delgado as a pioneer of Colombian music. Delgado said of his own career, “With hard work and effort I got this gift which is known to all lovers of llanero music.”
Llanero music is a traditional form of popular music in Colombia and Venezuela. The music is similar to a waltz and features harps and other instruments. The music takes its name from the Spanish word for “plain” referring to the region where it originated.