Ana del Castillo, Elder Dayán Díaz, Diego Daza and More Vallenato Artists to Listen To

Vallenato, a folkloric genre with roots in the department of Cesar, northern Colombia, has seen many artists take its essence beyond their homeland. Taking as a basis its typical instruments, such as the accordion, the snare drum, and the guacharaca — and adding modern musical arrangements that have given it a contemporary sound — artists such as Carlos Vives and Silvestre Dangond have been ambassadors of this genre at a national and international level. Behind them comes a new wave of artists with the task of continuing to preserve the legacy and expand its boundaries.

As the Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata 2024 takes place in Colombia, we highlight six artists from the new wave of the genre that you should know. Some of them will be performing at the concerts that will take place within the framework of the festival from May 2 to 4 (See more here).

On the men’s side, Elder Dayán Díaz, Diego Daza, Rafa Pérez, and Mono Zabaleta are some of the new names that are making noise in their native Colombia, and we hope that their echo also resonates strongly outside the country.

On the women’s side, few venture into the world of vallenato, and even fewer singers stand out in this genre mostly dominated by men. Therefore, it is gratifying to see artists like Ana del Castillo and Karen Lizarazo making a space for themselves at the table and embarking on an upward trajectory in this folkloric genre.

“It has been very difficult to have a position because sometimes they did not see it well for a woman to play accordion, sing vallenato, or play guacharaca. But over time they have respected that and I think that after me come many very talented women, sweeping through vallenato,” Ana del Castillo tells Billboard Español.

Below, we present six new exponents of vallenato that you should listen to and know, in alphabetical order by name: