Totó la Momposina Dies at 85, Heart Attack
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- Totó la Momposina died at age 85 from a heart attack, as announced by her three children on Instagram.
- President Gustavo Petro called her a dear friend and a luminary of Colombian Caribbean art and culture in a public tribute.
- Totó performed a concert residency at New York’s Radio City Music Hall in 1974, marking a major international venue early in her career.
- Totó was blacklisted in Colombia in 1979 for left‑wing political leanings, fled to France, and sang on streets, in markets, and in the Métro.
- Real World Records released her 1993 album La Candela Viva, expanding her global audience.
- Totó's music has been sampled by modern artists such as Timbaland, Major Lazer, Jay‑Z, and Calle 13, showing her lasting influence on contemporary music.
- Totó earned a Latin Grammy lifetime‑achievement award in 2013 and was named Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French government in 2016.
Why it matters: Her death removes a living conduit to Colombia’s Afro‑Indigenous folk traditions, depriving cultural institutions and younger musicians of a direct mentor, while her extensive sampling by global artists ensures her repertoire remains a vibrant source of inspiration and sparks renewed interest in her recordings.
