Mario Garena: It will always be called cumbia

August 26, 2021 – 8:47 pm

Mario Garena he was ahead of his time and while many artists thought about dedicating themselves to a specific musical genre, he opted for versatility. It passed with sufficiency of the own airs of the Caribbean, in which it grew and it consolidated, in the manifestations of the interior of the country until to arrive at subjects of international cut, flirting to him to the ballad and bolero.

The multiplicity not only had it in the voice, this unmistakable register that so many times put in the service of the Colombian folklore, but its versatile condition was demonstrated when composing. The mind, heart, and hand with which he held the sphere in their days of creation they lined up to explore dissimilar genres and tell the stories that came to mind.

Mario Garena, the first name was Jesús Arturo García Peña, visited the cumbia in the memorable I call myself cumbia, But he also did it through other creations like race i drive him crazy. He was seduced by the ballad with a successful composition in international circles such as I leave the city without me, appropriated the joropo with Wild and he decidedly approached Colombian Andean music with proposals such as I am Mr. Bamboo.

In addition to the creative realm, this character was born in September 1932, in Barranquilla, very soon he found his ideal place: in front of an orchestra, in the middle of a show. The magic of attracting attention and being the center of attention made him from the years of adolescence a skilled singer, an optimal and resourceful frontman that, without being the genuine leader of the group, he managed to set the rhythms of the instrumental performances.

In the early 50’s he began to spice up his resume with live performances. His first artistic experience was with the French musician Sebastià Solari, in Cali. This was his debut on stage and since then he has demonstrated his condition by taking ownership of the stage and managing to be a perfect link between the orchestra and the audience.

From 1951 to the 1990s, when Mario Garena was fully active in music, the artist garnered applause in such iconic places as the club Sant Ferran, the club Colombia, the grill Candilejas and several of the emblematic halls of the Hotel Tequendama, In Bogota, which were used for concerts and recitals, where the barranquillero expanded his reputation as a crooner, this English term that suggests the ease of communicating through rumor without the need to project the voice in full.

In the 1960s, Garena created one of the anthems of Caribbean music in Colombia. the song I call myself cumbia, Which he performed at the suggestion of the Cordovan composer, arranger and conductor Francisco zumaque, Exceeded the expectations of its creator and soon became one of the songs with more versions in the national songbook.

Despite the volume of performances, which include the voices of artists recognized as Totó La Momposina i Leonor González Mina, La Negra Gran Colombia, there seems to be a consensus that the best version lies in the throat of Mario Garena, who always interpreted it as if it were the first time.

as well as I call myself cumbia represents a special chapter in the history of Mario Garena, The song I leave you the city without me it also marks a before and an after in the artist’s trajectory. In 1970, the singer performed it at the First Latin American Song Festival in New York and took first place, arousing the best comments from critics. Later, the members of Los Angeles Black they made a very popular version in Latin America.

After being responsible for so many songs, Mario Garena felt with the impetus to create the Love Movement for Colombia, who supported him in 1990 in his failed attempt to reach the presidency of the Republic.

His time in politics, more comical than anything else, motivated him to settle in City of Salt Lake, In the state of Utah, where he died this August 25 at the age of 88. The person in charge of providing the information was Leopoldo García, One of his eight children.

“When the years add up to life is to be expected. In the opinion he fell, he lost his sense of stability and the blow was deadly. They tried to revive it and he couldn’t. My daddy went die this Wednesday at about 5:30 p.m., “he assured Leopoldo García in interview with On the radio.

Mario Garena, el showman, witty and creative, it leaves an important artistic legacy that will force history to conclude that it will really always be called cumbia.