Valedupar, Colombia – Francisco “Pacho” Rada Batista died of natural causes late in the evening on July 16.
Surrounded by his large family and thousands of fans, Pacho” Rada was laid to rest this afternoon at 4 p.m. (local time) in the Gaira Cemetery. He was one of the last minstrels of vallenato music and the greatest performer of the “son de la escuela bajera.”
Following “Pacha” Rada’s request, he was taken to the pantheon “led by accordions.” During the funeral he was offered a farewell by his accordion playing children, the king of vallenato “Beto” Rada and Manuel Rada. The Venera brothers also played. María Gregoria Rada Oviedo sang “La despedida a mi padre” (Farewell to my Father).”Pacho” Rada also gave instructions about the songs that should be played at his funeral. These are: “El tigre de la montaña”, “Riqueza no es la plata”, “La despedida” and his latest song “Llegó la hora en que me tengo que morir” (The Time for Me to Die Has Arrived), composed just a few weeks ago.
“Pacho” Rada was born May 11, 1907.
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.
