Iván Villazón
Iván Villazón | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Iván Francisco Villazón Aponte |
Also known as | La Joven Voz Tenor |
Born | October 25, 1959 |
Origin | Valledupar, Cesar, Colombia |
Genres | Vallenato, Latin |
Occupation(s) | singer |
Instruments | Singing |
Years active | 1984–present |
Labels | Sony Music |
Website | none |
Iván Francisco Villazón Aponte (born October 25, 1959 in the city of Valledupar, Colombia), 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.
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 Mendoza, 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.
Singing career[]
In 1984 Villazon recorded his first album with accordion player Alfredo Gámez under the Philips Records 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.[1]
In 1985 he teamed up with accordion player Orangel Maestre and released a new album under the same record label with the name . Three songs from this album became major hits: Mella Condolete by composer , Pedazo de Acordeon by Alejo Duran and Sufrir de nuevo by .[1]
In 1986 Villazon joined with accordion player Raul Martinez to record two albums, and , 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 , producing two major hits; Recuérdame written by singer and composer and Yo tenia un amigo written by composer Rafael Manjarrez. Personal differences arose between Villazon and Martinez and they decided to separate.[1]
In 1988 Villazon teamed up with accordion player and Vallenato Legend Festival winner who had been the partner of Diomedes Diaz. They recorded the album 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 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 with the hit songs Mi novia querida by Gustavo Gutierrez, El Amor Canta Vallenato by Ignasio Urbina and Volá pajarito by Alejo Duran.[1]
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.[1]
In 1993 Villazon worked with accordion player and recorded the album on the Colombian record label , 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 , producing successful songs like Decídete by , 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 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 and later .
In 2000 Arguelles left the group to record an album with Diomedes Diaz. Villazon partnered with producing the following albums; , , , , , , and .
Discography[]
Albums:
- 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.
Notes[]
External links[]
- 1959 births
- Living people
- Valledupar
- Colombian male singers
- Vallenato musicians
- People from Cesar Department
- 20th-century Colombian singers
- 20th-century male singers
- 21st-century Colombian singers
- 21st-century male singers