Omar Geles, the Grammy-nominated Latin vallenato singer, songwriter and accordionist who rose to fame in the '80s with the band Los Diablitos, died Tuesday (May 21) at Clínica Erasmo in Valledupar, Colombia. He was 57.
On May 18, Geles appeared as a guest artist at Silvestre Dangond's concert at El Campín Stadium in Bogotá, where he took the stage with Karen Lizarazo, Gusi, Elder Dayan, Rafa Peréz, Penchi Castro, Churo Díaz and Diego Daza.
The Colombian newspaper El Tiempo noted that Geles had already suffered “compensation” on April 27 after a show in Miami, where he was hospitalized and successfully recovered.
“Being grateful is the most precious gift and I have no way to repay you for taking care of my health.” Gelles wrote on Twitter on April 28. “To God be the glory because he is master of life and everything. I still have a big handful of songs to give you. I love you. Here I am as strong as an oak!'
The news of his death led stars such as Carlos Vives and Miguel Morales, his former partner in Los Diablitos, to express their sorrow on social media.
“It is not easy to accept that an artist like Omar Geles, with so much talent, so much joy, so many stories to tell, so much love for people, is suddenly gone.” wrote Vives on X, where she also posted a series of photos of the many moments they shared, including on the TV series Escalona, in which Geles played Simón Salas. “I could tell you many stories of a truly brotherly, selfless artist who was loved by all. I will miss you dear Omar. Rest in Peace.”
“The paths of life are like this… OMAR GELES, today my heart expresses with tears of pain your departure. You were my partner, my brother, my friend, my colleague and my source of who I am today,” Morales said. his Instagram accountreferencing their hit “Los Caminos de la Vida”, which means “The Paths of Life”.
The Vallenato Legend festival marked in X that “in his musical career as an accordionist and composer [Geles] he achieved great triumphs and knew how to give glory and honor to the music he loved until his last days.”
Geles rose to prominence in 1985 when he and Morales formed the band Los Diablitos, releasing hits such as “Los Caminos de la Vida” and “Cómo le Pago a mi Dios”. In 2004, after breaking up with Morales, the artist changed the name of the group to La Gente de Omar Geles and remained active.
In the last decade, he received two Latin Grammy nominations for best cumbia/vallenato album: in 2010 for Prueba Superadaand in 2012 for Histórico – A Dúo Con Los Grandes.
Watch an excerpt shared by El Tiempo of his last performance at Dangond's weekend show below.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/omar-geles-dead-latin-grammy-nominated-singer-dies-57-1235689854/