It seems like yesterday that the great minstrel Rafael Escalona left, and after fourteen years, we continue to miss him as we evoke each song, each word of his, and that soft echo of his voice “like the bird that sings in the jungle and cannot be seen.” ”.
It is the same legacy that the Rafael Calixto Escalona Martínez Foundation fights to perpetuate in the soul of the new generations, and that now, in the commemoration of its Fourteenth Anniversary, proudly embraces that memory to tell the world that Valledupar had the privilege of being the cradle of one of the greatest exponents of coastal folklore, as was the teacher Rafael Escalona.
As every year on this special date, we meet again with children, grandchildren, relatives, friends and those heirs of his musical tradition, to pay tribute to his memory.
The appointment is next May 13 in Jardines del Eccehomo at 9 am in his mausoleum tomb, under the Mango tree where his soul frolics full of contentment.
There, together with the new Vallenato King, Javier Matta and Jorge Antonio Oñate Dangond, son of the American goldfinch; The Great Ivo Díaz and the King of Kings, Almes Granado; The Carrascal Brothers and other folklore figures; We will be remembering ‘Rafa’ Escalona and expressing our feelings of love for his memory.
The years go by and Escalona never ceases to amaze us with his magic that is more current than ever, an example of this is the recognition given to Carlos Vives in the Legend category during the 2023 Latin American Music Awards ceremony in the city of Las Vegas, United States. Unidos, after the release of his new album called “Escalona: Nunca había se recordado así” with which he celebrated thirty years of musical career.
