In the early hours of today, Friday the 7th, through a message from his family on social networks, the death of the Antioquia musician José Muñoz Ospina, a key figure in the Paisa party scene thanks to his solo projects, groups such as Los Raros and Los Belladinos, but especially for their famous duet Los Relicarios. “With a heart full of sadness, but firm in the defense of our heritage, the Muñoz family announces the sensitive death of our father, José Muñoz, the founding voice of Los Relicarios, at the age of 93,” reads the message with which The sad news spread.
Dr. Alberto Burgos Herrera says the following about his work in his book “La Música Parrandera Paisa”: “José Muñoz is one of the greatest characters in Parrandera music, as a composer, as a musician, as a singer and as an organizer of groups; and in this music, if there is ever a legend, it will be José Muñoz.”
In that same publication the musician recalled: “Our childhood was very poor, but at that time the countryside was very good, with abundance, a lot of food and one only had to buy mere meat, the rest was everything in the countryside, There was even work, there was no violence, there was no theft, and everything was extremely tasty; poverty was great, but we grew up happy, we grew up barefoot, but that didn’t matter to us.”
Born in Bello on April 10, 1931, Muñoz Ospina began studying guitar at the age of seven. At a very young age he went to work in Medellín, and there, with the influence of the music of Guillermo Buitrago, he began a bohemian life that made him the greatest exponent of Paisa parrandera music, thanks to compositions such as “Los gotereros”, “El mouse”. “, “El mes de la parranda” and some indisputable hits in Gustavo’s version “El Loko”
Quintero and Los Graduados as “The Neighbor’s Band”, “Los Nicknames” and “El Culebrero”.
Muñoz’s life was full of unbeatable marks. Around 5,000 compositions were awarded to him, 1,300 of which were recorded by Los Relicarios since 1952, when he founded the duet with Neftalí Álvarez, replaced very shortly after by Germán Rengifo, his eternal sidekick. From that moment on they were recognized as the first male band music group in the country thanks to hits such as “El aguardientero”, “El dolor de un hombre”, “Cajón de Madera” and “El corrosco”.
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That was not the only musical association founded by this pioneer of the Paisa party sound: he was also part of party groups such as Los Belladinos (with Abel Díaz and José Bedoya) and Los Raros (with Alejandro Sarrazola), named after the song by Gildardo Montoya. “Because I’m so weird.”
Various expressions of regret after the death of Muñoz have been made known through social networks. The musician had announced his retirement from the stage last January, shortly before turning 93.
