Lucho Bermúdez

He adapted traditional Colombian musical styles such as cumbia and porro into modern rhythms that would become symbols of national identity from the 1930s.

His musical work was influenced by the porros and fandangos of the Sabana de Bolívar[clarification needed] and the coastal towns of northern Colombia.

[1] Bermúdez's father died when he was two years old after falling into a ravine, forcing his mother to support the family (including his sister Helena) with limited resources.

At four years old, he learned to play the piccolo from his uncle Montes, who, upon discovering the boy's interest and abilities, encouraged him to become a musician.

Bermúdez dedicated himself to learning the rhythms of Colombian Caribbean music, and adapting them to suit an orchestra; in the town of María La Baja he discovered how cumbia was organized by the black community.

He became musical director for the A Numero uno de Cartagena orchestra, and later the Orquesta del Caribe, in which he played many of his compositions and completed his first recordings, including "Marbella," "Cartagenerita," "Joselito Carnaval" and "Borrachera."

In Cuba he recorded four songs with RCA Víctor, directed the Orquesta de Bebo Valdés for the radio and Lecuona's orchestra for television.

Furthermore, he performed in many major US cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Washington[which?]