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The vallenato artist Jorge Oñate, ‘the goldfinch of America’, died in Medellín, Antioquia, where he was transferred to treat kidney and pancreas complications. The singer spent his last days in the Pablo Tobón Uribe hospital.
The sad news mourns the world of vallenato and Colombia, where his inspired successes marked glorious times and pages of national folklore. Topics such as El cariño de mi pueblo, Volví a llorar, Nido de Amor and Mujer Marchita are imprinted in the sound memory of lovers of the musical genre.
Jorge Antonio Oñate González was born on March 31, 1949 in La Paz. From a very young age, he was characterized by his sensitivity and ability to sing. Descendant of a cradle of accordion players, at the age of 12, they say, he flew to sneak into the parradas and listen to the minstrels.
The influence of Juan Oñate, his grandfather, was essential to mark his vocation. Another great influence was his aunt Julia Martínez, who panicked his love for vallenato and protected him from the punishment of his mother, who did not want him to take a bad path.
Wanting to get away from the atmosphere of the party, Jorge Oñate was transferred to Bogotá, where, however, inspiration followed. In the capital, he had contact with his family member Alonso Fenández Oñate, composer, politician and lawyer, who invited him to sing.
This is how the ‘American goldfinch’ began his spectacular and unstoppable career. The acetate was released in 1968 and was produced by the Bogota studio Vergara. The most notable song was ‘Campesina vallenata’, with which she began to gain a good reputation for her intonation.
Two years later, Jorge Oñate joined the group of the López Brothers, with whom he began to reap great successes. Between 1970 and 1975 he recorded no less than eight albums.
After completing his stage with the López Brothers, Jorge Oñate recorded the album ‘La parranda y la mujer’, by the hand of Emilianito Zuleta.
Then came his collaboration with Nicolás Colacho Mendoza, with whom he released four albums.
In 1978 he recorded with ‘Chiche’ Martínez and that same year he began to sing with Juancho Rois, one of the most stellar periods of his musical production. In 1981, with the album Ruiseñor de mi valle, he earned the title of ‘Ruiseñor del Cesar’.
In his fruitful career, Oñate won important awards: received in Las Vegas, in 2010, the Grammy for musical excellence. In addition, he won 10 Gold Congos and one Gold Super Congo. In total, he had more than 25 gold records, as well as many platinum records, and in 2011 he was awarded the Cruz de Boyacá.
Peace in his grave.
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