Latin Grammy-Nominated Vallenato Singer Dies at 57

Omar Geles, the Latin Grammy-nominated vallenato singer, songwriter and accordionist who rose to fame in the ’80s with the group Los Diablitos, died on 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 alongside 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 a “decompensation” on April 27 after a show in Miami, where he was treated at a hospital and successfully recovered.

“Being grateful is the most precious gift and I have no way to repay you because you were attentive to my health,” Geles tweeted on April 28. “To God be the glory because he is the owner of life and everything. I still have a big handful of songs to give you. I love you. Here I am, strong as an oak!”

The news of his death led stars such as Carlos Vives and Miguel Morales, his former bandmate in Los Diablitos, to express their sorrow on social media.

“It’s 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 has suddenly left,” Vives wrote on X, where he also posted a series of photographs of the many moments they shared, including in the TV series Escalona, in which Geles portrayed Simón Salas. “I could tell you many stories of a truly fraternal, unselfish artist that 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 my tears of pain your departure. You were my partner, my brother, my friend, colleague, and my source of what I am today,” Morales expressed on his Instagram account, making a reference to their hit “Los Caminos de la Vida,” which means “The Paths of Life.”

The Vallenato Legend Festival highlighted on X that “in his musical career as an accordionist and composer [Geles] achieved great triumphs and knew how to give glory and honor to the music he loved until his last days.”

Geles became known in 1985 when he and Morales created the group Los Diablitos, releasing hits such as “Los Caminos de la Vida” and “Cómo le Pago a mi Dios.” In 2004, after separating from 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 Superada, and in 2012 for Histórico – A Dúo Con Los Grandes.

Watch a snippet shared by El Tiempo of his last performance at Dangond’s show over the weekend below.