The night of April 30, 2023 turned out to be different. Six great accordion players, and not five, as is usually the case in a final, appeared on the ´Colacho Mendoza´ stage of the Parque de la Leyenda Vallenata Consuelo Araujo Noguera, to dispute the long-awaited title of version 56, which this year paid tribute to Luis Enrique Martinez, ´El Pollo Vallenato´.
After an arduous deliberation, the jury made up of the cashier Pablo López, the Vallenato King 2018, Julián Mojica; Carlos Mario Zuluaga, President of Club Deportivo La Equidad, David Racero, President of the House of Representatives and José Carreño, accordion player and folklorist, elected Javier Antonio Matta Correa as the new King of the Vallenato Legend Festival.
Matta is 33 years old and this was the thirteenth time that he had appeared at the Vallenato Legend Festival. To win the crown of the 56th version, he was accompanied by Omer Calderón Castilla, on the box, and Odacyr ´El Ñeko´Montenegro González on the guacharaca, with whom he skilfully and masterfully interpreted the walk ‘Jardín de Fundación’ by Luis Enrique Martinez; the merengue ‘La Fama’ by Luis Enrique Martínez, a song chosen by lottery, the son Marisela by Luis Enrique Martínez and the puya ‘Gallo peligroso’ by Odasir Montegro
“I have waited for this, many years. It eluded me for many years, but today my dream comes true. I have the crown that I longed for so much. I want to thank God and my family, my city Santa Marta, the Vallenato Legend Festival, and all those who, like me, also longed for him to be king. Thank you”, expressed the new King Vallenato
On different occasions, the new king was among the five finalists and this time he won the crown of version 56 of the Vallenato Legend Festival.
Second place was occupied by Omar Alberto Hernández Brochero, from Urumita, La Guajira, and José Juan Camilo Guerra Mendoza, from Valledupar, took third place.
This closes the event that for more than eight days met the expectations of the entire country and it is said again, Valledupar sounds through an accordion, a drum, a guacharaca and a song that goes beyond the barriers of the soul.