Omar Geles, the acclaimed accordion player and vallenato composer, died at the age of 57 on the night of May 21. The news of his death has shocked the world of music and has brought to mind the tragic loss of his first spouse, Liliana Carrillo, who also died by coincidence in May of last year.
Liliana Carrillo was the inspiring muse of many of the greatest hits of Omar Geles. Their relationship, which lasted several years, was marked by deep love and mutual respect, and together they had two children: Omar Yesid and José Jorge Geles Carrillo.
On May 30, 2023, Liliana Carrillo died after battling aggressive cancer which kept her hospitalized for a month. Although the family never specified the type of cancer, it was known that she was in a terminal stage when it was discovered. Liliana was the inspiration behind several iconic Geles compositions, such as “Blank Sheet”, “I will wait for you” and “He doesn’t deserve betrayal.”
Omar Geles He met Liliana at a party, where they began a romance that had to overcome several adversities, including opposition from the Liliana’s father, who did not want his daughter to be with a musician. Despite these difficulties, her love prevailed, and Liliana became a central figure in Geles’s life and career.
“I saw the little monkey over there, I started to itch her eye and we ended up in love. Like every dad, they don’t want her daughter to get involved with a musician because we have a bad reputation, anyone gets alarmed, “The whole thing is that they sent her to study in England and Telecom kept my money,” the late artist revealed at the time.
In 2023, Omar Geles He shared several videos on YouTube in which he sang his songs and revealed the stories behind them. When talking about “I will wait for you”, which was performed by Miguel Morales in 1986, Geles thanked Liliana for allowing her to raise her children and for the values and principles with which she educated them.
“It was the first one I wrote, I wrote it for the first love of my life, the mother of Omar Yesid and José Jorge, my first two boys. I thank you, Liliana, for allowing me to raise those children, or, rather, for raising them for me, with that greatness and those principles. Thank you, Liliana, I will always love you.”
Although their marriage ended, Omar and Liliana maintained a close and cordial relationship for the sake of their children, supporting each other and respecting each other as artists and as people.
However, Liliana’s death was a deep blow for Geles, and many followers believe that he never got over this loss, which affected his health in the last year due to the pain that his heart could not heal.
For its part, Maren Garciawho was a partner of Omar Geles for more than ten years and mother of three of his children, expressed her pain at the sudden death of the accordion player. On Instagram, she shared a touching message alongside a photo of Geles looking out the window: “Love of my entire life, you left me without you. I have no strength, love, you take them all.”
You can also read: Omar Geles: Festival Vallenato announced that he will be the artist honored in 2025 after his death
The death of Omar Geles marks the end of an era in vallenatobut his musical legacy and the influence of his muse, Liliana Carrillo, will endure over time.
