President of Colombia

Gustavo Petro
Presidential period 2022-2026.
Birthplace Ciénaga de Oro.

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Writers and Historians
(Arranged by date of birth)

Manuel Zapata (1920-2004) – Historian, anthropologist, writer, playwright, storyteller and medical doctor.
Author of several novels and plays, Zapata Olivella was one of the most important writers of 'Sinuana' literature.
He wrote the novels, I have seen the night, Chambacú Courtyard of Blacks and Changó the Great 'Putas'; the essays, The Afro-Colombian Ancestors and The Afro-Catholic Syncretism and the play, Steps of the Indian.
He was born in Lorica.

Guillermo Valencia "Compae Goyo" (1929-1999) – Writer and artist.
He was a lawyer, historian, poet, playwright, musician, sculptor, cultural promoter and storyteller of Sinú myths and legends.
He penned Cordoba, its People and its Folklore, Murrucucu, and The Cordoba Writers Mosaic.
As a musical composer, his porros Urrá, Mi Vieja Montería and Bodas de Plata are worth mentioning among many others.
He was born in El Sabanal, a small area of Montería.

David Sanchez – Novelist, short-story writer and playwright.
Sánchez has won several national prizes for stories and novels, such as the Plaza y Janés Prize, the National Prize of Literature from the Books and Letters Foundation of Colombia and the Dulcinea International Prize in Spain.
Many of his works have been broadcasted such as the plays El Flecha and El Pachanga.
The writer was born in Lorica in 1945.

José Luis Garces – Writer, historian and professor.
A well-known writer whose books have been translated into several languages,
Garcés was distinguished in 2007 with the Short-Story National Prize conferred by the Universidad Industrial de Santander, for his book, Rainstorm against the trees.
He also won the "City of Pereira Novels Prize " and was awarded first prize for the best foreign short-story, entered in Chile 's "Javiera Career" short-story competition. He was the founder of the literary group "El Túnel".
The author was born in Montería in 1950.

Soad Louise Lakah – Writer.
Some of this writer's books are, Influential Arguments, The Whims of God and Ms.Fuss and Other Women. She is a highly-respected lady in the country.
She has been Director of the Departmental Institute of Culture of Cordoba, Secretary of Culture of the Government of Cordoba, President of the House of Culture and a member of The Academy of History of Cordoba.
Soad was awarded the General José Maria Cordoba Great Cross. The writer was born in Ciénaga de Oro, in 1952.

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Actors   (In Spanish)

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Artists

German Rios – Painter.
Ríos Brú is the artist of 'Birds and Scarecrows' and the 'Parajes' series.
He was awarded a prize at Art BAT Hall of Popular Art for his work Industrial Complex in the 'Parajes' series.
He was born in Montería in 1951.

Carlos Gomez – Painter.
An artist of great talent whose works have been exhibited at the Museums of Modern Art in Medellín, Cali and Cartagena, at the Bank of the Republic and at the Bank of Boston.
He has been awarded several prizes such as the first prize at the Pierre Daguet III Regional Hall in Cartagena, first prize at the Jorge Tadeo Lozano University VII Hall of Young Art and first prize at the Barranquilla VII National Hall.
He was born in Cereté in 1963.

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Musicians, Composers and Singers

Delia Zapata (1926-2001) – Dancer and promoter of the Colombian folklore.
Delia Zapata was one of the most prestigious experts and promoters of the music and dances of the coastal regions of Colombia.
She was a wonderful dancer and choreographer. She founded and directed the "Ballet Folclórico de Delia Zapata Olivella". This dance group has received great recognition in the Americas and in Europe.
The artist's place of birth was the municipality of Lorica.

Francisco Zumaque Nova (1915-1992) – Composer, music director and arranger.
He was the creator of 'Macumberos del Sinú' band and macumba music - (mixture of mapalé and cumbia).
Some of his musical hits are El Sabrosón, A Orillas del Sinú and Rica Macumba. Zumaqué formed part of the most important musical bands of his time, in particular the Sonora Cordobesa.
The composer was born in Montería.

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(Cont.) Musicians, Composers and Singers

Antolín Lenes (1924-1976) – Composer and singer.
His great passion for Caribbean music led him to create diverse musical bands such as El Combo, Los Galleros, Antolín Lenes y sus Muchachos, La Orquesta Juvenil and El Combo Orense.
He was born in Ciénaga de Oro.

Pablo Florez (Pablito Florez) – Musician composer and singer.
The compositions of this acclaimed musician include La Aventurera, Los Sabores del Porro, Juan Almanza and Luna Primaveral.
He has composed and sung pieces with diverse rhythms: porros, pasilloss, waltzes, fandangos, tangos, rancheras and boleros.
He has received several rewards.
Florez was born in Ciénaga de Oro in 1926

Francisco Zumaque Gomez – Musician, composer, arranger, singer and interpreter.
Zumaqué carried out his musical studies in Montería, at the Conservatory of Bogota and in Paris (France) at the Nadia Boulanger Academy.
He was a guest conductor with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Bogota.
He composed classical arrangements of the works of Jose Barros and Lucho Bermudez as well as arranging some compositions by Fannia All Star, Cheo Feliciano and Eddie Palmieri.
His best-known work is Colombia Caribe, anthem of the Caribbean music festival in Cartagena.
He was born in Cerete in 1945.

Julio Roberto Castillo – Professor, arranger, and saxophone player.
This talented musician started to become known at the Junior Symphony Orchestra of Colombia. He was a guest saxophone player with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Bogota. He has been awarded 'El Congo de Oro' and 'El Sabanero de Oro'.
He achieved great success throughout the country with his outstanding musical works of the 'Sinú Sax Quartet' (mixtures of Caribbean music and jazz).
Castillo was born in Chinu in 1969.

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Orcherstras and Music Bands

La Sonora Cordobesa
One of the most famous orchestras of Colombian Caribbean music of the 1960's was the Sonora Cordobesa, the "symbol orchestra" of Cordoba . It was conducted by Simon Mendoza.
The band was formed by famous musicians such as Tiburcio Romero, composer of many pieces of music. The main singer was Rogelio "El Indio Chavez", also a composer of well-known songs.

Los Macumberos del Sinu
Francisco Zumaque Nova was the creator of this well-known musical group from the middle of the twentieth century.

La Sonora Cienaguera
This band became famous in 1963. It was formed by Antolin Lenes, Lucy Gonzalez, Pablo Florez and Rogelio Adriano Chavez , known as "El indio Chavez".

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Sportsmen and women

Miguel Lora -Miguel "Happy" Lora – Boxer.
This bantamweight boxer was the World Champion from 1985 to 1988. He was officially recognized as "Sportsman of the Year" in Colombia in 1986.
As an amateur boxer, he won the gold medal at the National Championship in Montería in 1977. Three years later, he received the Central America and Caribbean first prize in the super flyweight category. In 1982 he won the National Championship.
Happy Lora was born in Montería in 1961.

Cesar Canchila – Boxer.
World Champion in the flyweight category at the World Association Boxing Competition. This outstanding boxer received his world title in Las Vegas , the United States, in July of 2008.
He began his career as an amateur boxer and after achieving many victories, he turned professional, reaching the pinnacle of his career with his extraordinary triumph as world champion.
Canchila was born in Cereté in 1982.

Lely Luz Florez – Boxer.
World female boxing champion.
She is the Colombia's first female boxing champion ever.
In Montevideo, Uruguay (August 2009) the pugilist step up into the ring to claim the interim WBC female light welterweight belt. She improved to 14-3-0 with 7 KO's.
The great boxer was born in Montería in 1985.

Enis Pacheco – Boxer.
2012 World Champion in the lightweight category at the World Boxing Organization (WBO).
This outstanding boxer has been 10 times winner, 8 of them, for "the road of dream".
She received her world title in Barranquilla, (Colombia).
Enis was born in San José de Canalate in 1989