Abel Antonio Villa
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Abel Antonio Villa | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Padre del acordeón[1] |
| Born | Abel Antonio Villa Villa[2] 1 October 1924 Tenerife, Colombia |
| Died | 10 June 2006 (aged 81) Barranquilla, Colombia |
| Genres | vallenato |
Spouse | Débora Cañas |
| Children | 11 |
Abel Antonio Villa Villa (1924–2006) was a Colombian accordionist and songwriter. He appeared on the first commercial vallenato record in 1944, and wrote more than 500 songs in a decades-long career. In 1998 he was given the title "King for life" at the Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata.
Abel Antonio Villa was born on 1 October 1924 in Tenerife in the department of Magdalena, Colombia, to Antonio Villa Salas and María del Tránsito Villa Barrio. He had 10 siblings.[3]
Villa began learning accordion at age 9 after hearing Gilberto Bermúdez play, and was later taught by Pacho Rada.[3] He formed his first band together with his brother Fabián, Julio Bovea, and Virgilio Riasco.[3] In 1944 Villa played on the first commercial vallenato record, alongside Ezequiel Rodríguez, Guillermo Buitrago, and his brother Fabián, a song called "Las Cosas de las Mujeres" that was released on Odeon Records.[2] He later signed to Discos Fuentes, where he released his first LP in 1947; by 1979 he had released 22 LPs and more than 500 singles.[3]
Villa competed only once in the accordionist competition of the Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata, and did not win. In 1998 he was given the title "King for life" (Spanish: Rey vitalicio) by the festival, alongside Andrés Landero, Antonio Salas, Pacho Rada, and Lorenzo Morales.[1][4]
Villa was married to Débora Cañas, and had 11 children. He died on 10 June 2006 in Barranquilla.[1]
