Colombian musical legend Gustavo “El Loco” Quintero died Sunday in Medellin at the age of 76 after being hospitalized recently with health problems.
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Quintero, an icon of Colombian tropical music whose voice is particularly associated with the holiday season in the South American country, sang to more than a generation of Colombians with popular songs such as “Carita del Angel,” “La Cinta Verde,” “Asi Empezaron Papa y Mama” and many more.
The famed singer-songwriter’s more than half-century-long musical career began with the group Teen Agers before he became the frontman for Los Hispanos and Los Graduados.
His last concert was on Dec. 10 in Medellin, Colombia’s third-largest city, where he performed most of his biggest hits including “El Aguardientosky” and “La Pelea del Siglo,” among others.
Over the course of his decades-long life in the music scene, “El Loco” performed on stages in Argentina, Britain, Canada, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France, Holland, Peru, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Spain and more.
At the request of his family, the details of his health problems leading up to his death have not been disclosed, local media reported.
Quintero was born in Rionegro, in Colombia’s department of Antioquia, on Dec. 23, 1939. Later this month, we would have celebrated his 77th birthday.