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Lucho Bermúdez
1912–1994
About Lucho Bermúdez
Clarinetist, composer, and bandleader who brought cumbia and porro from the Caribbean coast into Colombia's ballrooms and onto the international stage. From the 1940s his orchestra refined the folk rhythms of his home region into a sophisticated big-band sound, and songs like 'Colombia Tierra Querida' and 'San Fernando' became national standards. Widely regarded as the father of modern Colombian tropical music, he helped carry cumbia across Latin America. He recorded prolifically until his death in 1994.