Totó la Momposina, the Colombian singer known for work in cumbia, bullerengue, porro and tambora chalupa, died on May 19, 2026, at age 85.
Born Sonia Bazanta Vides on August 1, 1940, in Talaigua Nuevo, Bolívar, Colombia, she was of Afro-Colombian and Indigenous descent. She was the fourth generation of her family involved with music, and her parents were a drummer and a singer-dancer.
Her career as a musician and songwriter was active from 1964 to 2013. She drew international attention with her 1993 album La Candela Viva on Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records label.
Totó la Momposina, 85, Colombian singer.