Silvestre Dangond emerged as one of Colombian music’s foremost figures in the new millennium, updating vallenato—the Caribbean coastal tradition—with his skills as both vocalist and timbale player. Born May 12, 1980, in Urumita, La Guajira, he grew up listening to his father, William José Dangond Baquero, who sang under the name El Palomo whenever time allowed. That household environment sparked an early passion; by adolescence Dangond had become a polished singer and timbale player. Once high school ended he committed to music full-time and formed a duo with accordionist Ramón López. The pair worked the party and club circuit, steadily building a following for their energetic performances. In 2002 they signed with Sony Music and issued their first album, Tanto Para Ti.
The following year Dangond met accordionist Juancho de la Espriella; the two clicked musically, de la Espriella stepped in for López, and the new partnership quickly recorded Lo Mejor Para los Dos. Two further releases—Mas Unidos Que Nunca in 2004 and Ponte a la Moda in 2005—elevated them to major stardom throughout Colombia. Their seventh joint effort, 2011’s No Me Compares con Nadie, confirmed their dominance: it received diamond certification for Colombian sales, topped the national album charts, and kept them selling out shows in Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador while expanding their reach into the United States. Despite that success the pair parted ways, prompting Dangond to release 2013’s La 9a Batalla under his own name with Rolando Ochoa handling the accordion parts. Audience reaction proved no cause for concern; the album again led the Colombian charts. The next year’s Sigo Invicto earned Dangond a second diamond plaque and reached number nine on Billboard’s Tropical Albums chart.
Although allegations involving drug use, an assault on a minor, public discharge of firearms, and ties to traffickers had earned him a reputation as Colombian music’s bad boy, his popularity across Latin America remained undiminished. In the United States he collected five Latin Grammy nominations and drew five thousand fans to his debut Miami concert. When Gente Valiente appeared in 2017, the sessions once more featured accordion work by his cousin Jorge Lucas Dangond.
