This March 8 marks International Women’s Day and version number number will be made soon. 56 of the Vallenato FestivalFor this reason, the newspaper EL PILÓN takes a tour through history and remembers the women who have marked Vallenato music.
Among the most prominent women are Cecilia Meza Reales and Rita Fernández, who were the first to play the accordion and form a female vallenato group, ‘Las Universitarias’, so called because several of its members were studying different careers. In fact, they were the first to compete at the Vallenato Festival.
Nohema Fragoso was one of the pioneers in female singing, she was renowned locally, she performed on the festival stage and was often a jury member. Sang at cultural events and parradas. In her time there were no women who sang vallenato. However, later Rita Fernández arrived with ‘Las Universitarias’ at the first festival in 1968.
Patricia Teherán is remembered as one of the glories of Vallenato music. Many years after her disappearance, the singer, known as the ‘Goddess of Vallenato‘ is still playing on the radio. She is known as the first female voice in this musical genre.
Consuelo Araujonoguera was one of the most influential women of the vallenato, she did it from journalistic columns, radio programs or books. She was the pioneer and founder of the Vallenato Festival, in addition, Minister of Culture during the government of Andres Pastrana. Before, director of the Institute of Culture and Tourism of Cesar, and managed the achievement of the lot where the Parque de la Leyenda is located, which today bears her name.
Cecilia ‘La polla’ Monsalvo founded the Piloneras Parade in 1981, and this tradition kicks off the Vallenato Legend Festival every year.
FEMALE VOICES TODAY
Today, women like Ana del Castillo, Karen Lizarazo, and Natalia Curvelo.among many others, are the spokespersons for the female gender in Vallenato music.