(headline image: Yeison Landero – Photo by Alex Guete)
Yeison Landero was born in San Jacinto, Bolívar, a town located in the Montes de María region of Colombia’s Caribbean coast. He is the grandson of Andrés Landero, a widely celebrated figure known as the “King of Cumbia” in both national and international circles.
From an early age, Yeison showed a strong affinity for the accordion and traditional cumbia, influences passed down directly from his grandfather. At just seven years old, he began learning under Andrés Landero’s guidance, gaining not only technical skill but also an understanding of the emotional and cultural depth of the música de la sabana (music of the savanna).
He grew up in a musical environment enriched by gatherings with notable Colombian artists, including Alfredo Gutiérrez, Lisandro Meza, Calixto Ochoa, Enrique Díaz, and Adolfo Pacheco Anillo. These experiences further shaped his musical identity, rooted in the traditions of cumbia sabanera and música de gaita.
Yeison’s first performing group was formed by Andrés Landero, who presented him and his sister as “Los Nietos de Andrés Landero.” Together, they performed at festivals, civic events, and concerts across Colombia, continuing the family’s musical legacy on public stages.
Although he pursued formal studies in both music (at Bellas Artes) and law (at the University of Cartagena), Landero ultimately committed to a full-time music career. This decision led to the release of his debut album Landero Vive, a tribute to his grandfather. The record includes reinterpretations of Andrés Landero’s classics as well as original compositions such as “Noche de Cumbia,” “La Época de Oro,” and “Manojo de Vela.”
Since the album’s release, Yeison Landero has toured extensively, bringing Colombian cumbia to audiences around the world. His performances have included venues such as the Kennedy Center in New York and the Lincoln Theatre in Washington, D.C., often alongside the renowned Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto. His international appearances have spanned North and South America, Europe, and Africa, with stops in cities such as London, Madrid, Vienna, Casablanca, and Cairo.
In 2019, Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto invited him to collaborate on the album El Último Cacique, which was nominated for the Latin Grammy Award for Best Folk Album in 2020. Landero contributed the song “Campesino Cimarrón,” a tribute to rural Colombian laborers. That same year, he received another Latin Grammy nomination in the Cumbia/Vallenato category for his performance on “Llora Mi Acordeón” with the Medellín-based group Los Cumbia Stars.
In 2021, he joined Carlos Vives on stage for the launch of Cumbiana, a multidisciplinary project celebrating the origins of Colombian cumbia. During the event, Landero performed a musical retrospective honoring foundational figures in the genre’s history.
Shortly afterward, he paid tribute to the late Mexican cumbia icon Celso Piña with a live rendition of “La Pava Congona,” reinforcing his commitment to preserving and revitalizing the transnational legacy of cumbia.
In 2025, Landero was selected to perform at the influential WOMEX world music showcase in Tampere, Finland.
Discography:
Landero Vive (2018)
Los Guerreros No Lloran, with Betty Ochoa (16 Tons Records, 2020)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.