Colombia woke up this Tuesday to the news of the death — several days ago — of one of its most emblematic voices. Singer-songwriter and folklorist Toto la Momposina died in Mexico at the age of 85, as confirmed by her representative and Colombia’s Ministry of Cultures.
The news sparked immediate reactions across cultural sectors in Colombia and Latin America, where for decades she had been recognized as one of the leading guardians of the traditional rhythms of Colombia’s Caribbean region.
The artist, born Sonia Bazanta Vides in Talaigua, Bolivar department, leaves behind a musical legacy deeply connected to the country’s Afro-Indigenous and rural roots. In 2022, she retired due to health problems after performing at the Festival Cordillera in Bogota.
Her career was defined by the defense of ancestral sounds such as cumbia, bullerengue, chalupa, and mapale, genres she brought to international stages at a time when Colombian folklore still had little presence outside the country.
Colombian singer Toto la Momposina dies
So far, the known information about the death of Toto la Momposina indicates that she died in Mexico, where she had been staying for several days. Although full details about the cause of her death have not been disclosed, the news was confirmed this Tuesday and quickly prompted farewell messages from musicians, cultural figures, and Colombian political leaders.
The singer had faced some health problems associated with her advanced age in recent years, although she remained an active and admired figure within Latin American music. Her voice continued to appear at festivals, tributes, and projects related to the preservation of Colombia’s cultural heritage.
The death of Toto la Momposina marks the end of a fundamental era for the country’s folklore. For decades, the artist became a symbol of the oral and musical memory of Colombia’s Caribbean region, recovering traditional songs passed down from generation to generation and bringing them to audiences who had never heard those rhythms before.
It was also confirmed that on May 27 a tribute to the singer-songwriter will be held at the Capitolio Nacional, the building that houses the Colombian Congress. “To the eternal master who traveled the world to the rhythm of cumbias, porros, mapalés, and bullerengues born in the heart of our land. To the eternal woman from Mompox who spoke about the traditional music of the Caribbean, strengthened it, and enriched it for decades to write an entire chapter in the cultural history of our country,” the Ministry of Cultures wrote.
Hoy despedimos a la eterna Totó. (1940-2026)
A la eterna maestra que recorrió el mundo entero a ritmo de cumbias, porros, mapalés y bullerengues nacidos en el corazón de nuestra tierra.
A la eterna momposina que habló de la música tradicional del Caribe, la potenció y la… pic.twitter.com/8YeYsAH0k2
— MinCultura Colombia (@mincultura) May 19, 2026
The voice that brought cumbia to the world
Toto la Momposina was born on August 1, 1940, in Talaigua Nuevo, in the Momposina Depression region. She came from a family of musicians and from a very young age was surrounded by drums, gaitas, and traditional songs. That family heritage defined the course of her entire artistic life.
In the 1960s, she began building a career focused on preserving the popular expressions of the Colombian Caribbean. Unlike other performers of commercial tropical music, Toto always defended traditional roots and the communal nature of the rhythms she performed.
Her international recognition grew stronger in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She performed at European festivals, recorded albums distributed across different continents, and achieved something uncommon for a Colombian folk artist: entering world music circuits alongside African, Caribbean, and Latin American figures.
One of the most important moments of her career came when she was invited to participate in the WOMAD festival, promoted by British musician Peter Gabriel. That international platform helped project her music to new audiences and turned Toto la Momposina into a global reference for Latin American folk music.
Songs such as La candela viva, El pescador, and Curura became cultural anthems associated with Colombian Caribbean identity. Her way of singing, accompanied by drums and gaitas, conveyed a deep connection with the country’s Afro-descendant and Indigenous communities.
More than a singer
The importance of Toto la Momposina was not limited solely to music. Her work was considered for years a form of cultural preservation. Many researchers and musicians recognized in her a kind of living archive of traditions that survived through oral transmission.
The artist consistently defended the value of popular music against cultural homogenization and the dominance of the commercial industry. In interviews and performances, she insisted on the need to protect traditional rhythms and respect the knowledge of the communities that gave rise to them.
Her figure also opened paths for new generations of Colombian artists interested in blending traditional sounds with contemporary proposals. Toto’s influence can be traced in multiple current musical projects that today reclaim drums, gaitas, and ancestral songs as part of a new Colombian sonic identity.
Throughout her career, she received numerous national and international recognitions. However, beyond awards and tributes, her greatest contribution was having turned Colombian folk music into a recognized and respected expression outside the country.
With the death of Toto la Momposina, one of the most representative voices of Colombian culture of the last century disappears. But what also remains is a musical body of work that will continue to serve as a living memory of the Caribbean’s roots and of the traditions she devoted her entire life to preserving.