At 37 years old, the time has come for Vallero Díaz to show that he not only lives off the surname of the Díaz dynasty, but that he can follow his own musical path in the broad vallenato universe.
To fulfill that purpose, Ricardo Díaz Martínez – his given name – received the support of a living legend of vallenato like Omar Geles, with whom he recorded the album ‘Sé pa donde voy’, which was presented to the public on the 14th of September.
The album, with 13 songs, fuses traditional vallenato songs with contemporary touches, most of them by Geles, one of the most successful composers and producers in vallenato music in recent times.
“On the album we bring many beautiful and also humorous songs to enjoy, a Creole vallenato. Grateful for Jesus Christ for sending me maestro Omar Geles, for me, an angel who encouraged me to make this album,” said Vallero in an interview with EL PILÓN.
Although this is the debut album of his career, Vallero has a history of several years touring stages in different cities in the country, always carrying the flag of belonging to the Díaz dynasty.
“Everyone who belongs to a dynasty follows the path marked by the elder. The younger learns from the older. My uncle (Diomedes Díaz) left that mark for us to push ourselves, even those who are not family do it too. But I had to take my own path,” said this nephew of El Cacique who was born in Valledupar.
CRITICISM OF YOUR VOICE
Although he bears the last name Díaz, his musical path has not been easy. On social networks and digital platforms, Vallero has become the target of a relentless downpour of criticism for his way of interpreting.
From the moment he released his first single, the networks were filled with negative comments about his voice, accusing him of being out of tune and inappropriate for the music industry.
“I only ask that you help me because this has been in my blood since I was a child, and we all start with mistakes. And from so much criticism I realize that they are injecting me with adrenaline to give me more momentum. I don’t back down, but I move forward, I’m stubborn,” says Vallero. And he adds: “If I don’t sing, I love it. You can’t fight with the public, rather you appreciate it.”
Among the songs on their album, one particularly stands out. The song ‘Sé pa donde voy’ where its author, Omar Geles, describes the life of Vallero Díaz. “Omar asked me about my real life, and from one moment to the next, after 5 minutes, he came back and sang it to me. Just as I told him my story, he told it to me,” says Diomedes’ nephew.
You may also be interested in: “It is not easy to sing traditional vallenato in a time where vallenato was changed”: Ivo Díaz
This song has the particularity of sharing a melody with the song ‘El favor de Dios’, performed by the artist Ana del Castillo, but with different lyrics.
Diomedes Díaz’s nephew made a promotional visit to the newspaper EL PILÓN. Photo JOAQUÍN RAMÍREZ.
‘I AM VALLERO, FROM VALLEDUPAR’
Among the anecdotes that shape Vallero’s life, one of the most curious is the origin of his nickname. He remembers that he obtained it when he fell in love with a juntera (natural from La Junta, La Guajira) during a vacation, and she demanded that her suitors be city dwellers. Following his rebellious spirit, he denied his roots and, in an adolescent outburst and not knowing the name of Valledupar, he proclaimed: “I am Vallero.”
“All that girl started saying that they were from Santa Marta, Cartagena. I told her that she was from Valle, that she was Vallero. “Children’s things,” concluded the son of Rafael Díaz and Santa Cristina Martínez.
Read also: ‘Collection’, the exhibition of two passionate art collectors in Valledupar
Although negative comments persist on social media, Vallero has something that critics have not been able to take away from him: his perseverance. From an early age, he dreamed of being a musician and is willing to fight for that dream, no matter how many stones he finds in his way. As the song that Omar Geles gave him says: “No one has the power to break your illusion, there is no one to stop me, I know where I’m going.”
JOSÉ A. MARTÍNEZ / CULTURE – EL PILÓN