The Colombian singer, dancer and actress Leonor González Minaa great exponent of the country’s folklore, has died this Wednesday at 90 years of age in a nursing home in Cali.
‘La Negra Grande de Colombia’, as she was known in the artistic field, performed songs from the national repertoire with her powerful voice such as My Bonaventure, The cheerful fisherman, To the mine, My peregoyo, Drunkenness, I see how beautiful and black christmas, among others.
“Goodbye, Big Black! I deeply regret the death of Leonor González Mina, the ‘Big Black Woman of Colombia’, an artist in every letter. His powerful voice, his talent and his commitment to Afro-Colombian culture leave an immense legacy for the country,” Colombian Vice President Francia Márquez wrote on social media.
With his voice, González toured the world with songs such as Niño de color, La canoa ranchá, Maximina, Chocoanita, Mi cafetal, Tío Guachupecito and Yo me llama cumbia.
“Valle del Cauca, the Pacific and the entire country are in mourning“Our ‘Big Black Woman of Colombia’ is gone, Leonor González Mina is gone,” the governor of Valle del Cauca, Dilian Francisca Toro, wrote in her X account, stressing that “Leonor was not only a unique voice that carried our traditions to the world, but also a symbol of struggle, pride and love for our culture.
One of the iconic voices of Colombian folklore
González Mina was born in Robles, a town in the department of Valle del Cauca in 1934. From her early years she showed her vocation for singing and dancing, disciplines that made her one of the iconic voices of Colombian folklore.
He debuted before an audience in Parisat the Olympia Theater, when he was a member of Delia and Manuel Zapata Olivella’s Ballet Folklorico, which he joined after running away from home in search of fulfilling his dreams.
Throughout his artistic life he received various decorations. One of the most important was the 2024 Gold Medal in the Arts, which was awarded to him by the John F. Kennedy Center.
In 1978 he obtained the Andrés Bello decoration from the Venezuelan Government, and the Simón Bolívar Order from the Colombian Government in 1980.
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