Colombian Music Legend Totó la Momposina Dies at 85

Totó la Momposina was a famous singer from Colombia. She died on May 20, 2026. She was 85 years old. Her children shared the news on Instagram. They said their mother carried Colombian culture to the world. She was born in 1940 in a small town called Talaigua Nuevo. Her real name was Sonia Bazanta Vides. Her nickname was Totó. When her family moved to Bogotá, she started her music career. She created her own band in the 1960s. The band was called Totó La Momposina y Sus Tambores.

She became very popular in Colombia. In 1974, she performed at Radio City Music Hall in New York. In 1979, she had to leave Colombia. She moved to France because of her political ideas. There, she sang in streets and restaurants to earn money. Later, she worked with Peter Gabriel's record company. Her 1993 album La Candela Viva made her famous worldwide. Her music mixed African and Indigenous sounds. She helped make cumbia music popular around the world.

Sources: theguardian.com / bbc.com