José Barros

José Barros (José Benito Barros Palomino, 21 March 1915 – 12 May 2007) was a seminal Colombian musician and composer whose prolific output of more than eight hundred songs helped define the soundscape of 20th‑century Colombian popular music. Born in the river town of El Banco, Magdalena, he was the youngest of five children of Portuguese immigrant João María Barros Traveceido and Colombian mother Eustasia Palomino, but orphaned in infancy and raised by his aunt Clara Palomino. From an early age he sang in the central square to support his family and taught himself the guitar, laying the groundwork for a career that would span seven decades. At seventeen he moved to Santa Marta, served briefly in the army, and after a dramatic stow‑away attempt he found himself in Barrancabermeja where he joined local ensembles, later wandering to Segovia, Antioquia in search of gold before settling in Medellín. There his composition “El Minero” won a songwriting contest, launching him into national recognition. By the late 1940s he was living in Bogotá with drummer Jesús Lara Pérez and married Tulia Molano, with whom he had two children. His breakthrough hit “El Gallo Tuerto” captured the imagination of audiences and opened doors to international tours in Panama, Mexico and Argentina, where he also wrote rancheras and tangos. Throughout the 1960s he organized the Festival de la Cumbia in his hometown, cementing his legacy as a cultural ambassador. Barros' repertoire includes classics such as “La Piragua”, “El Pescador”, “Momposina” and “El Vaquero”, songs that continue to be performed by contemporary artists. He died at age 92 in Santa Marta, leaving behind nine children and an enduring musical heritage that still resonates across Latin America.