Born and raised in La Guajira—the so-called "Cradle of Vallenato"—Daniel Celedón is a Colombian folk star with Vallenato in his blood. Beginning with his 1975 debut, Celedón infused the Afro-Colombian genre with keyboard and his operatic vocal tones, bringing a modern touch and fresh flavour to a highly regarded tradition. Backed by playful accordion, a fiesta of maracas and joyous group choruses, Celedón's songs are bursting with life—his rich voice scales octaves with the acrobatic grace of a virtuoso singer, and resonates as strongly today as it did 40 years ago.