Simón Díaz

About Simón Díaz

Simón Díaz, affectionately known as Tío Simón, is the most beloved figure in Venezuelan music. A singer, composer, and television host from the state of Aragua, he devoted his life to elevating the tonada, the pastoral song of the llanero cattle herders, into a refined art form. His Caballo Viejo became one of the most covered Latin songs in history, recorded by Celia Cruz, Julio Iglesias, Plácido Domingo and hundreds more, and adapted into the Gipsy Kings smash Bamboléo. He received a Latin Grammy for lifetime achievement before his death in 2014.