Through a message from his family, published on social networks in the early hours of this Friday, the death of the Antioquian musician José Muñoz Ospinaa key figure in the Paisa party scene thanks to his solo projects and his participation in groups such as ‘The Raros’ and ‘The Belladinos’but above all for his leadership in the famous duet ‘The Reliquaries’.
“With a heart heavy with 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”says the message with which the news was spread.
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The Institute of Culture and Heritage of Antioquia mourned the death of the Paisa singer and composer, whom it recognized a legacy in the region’s party music, which “will last forever”.
Muñoz Ospina had announced his retirement from the stage last January, shortly before turning 93.
The songs for which ‘El relicario’ José Muñoz will always be remembered
Born in Bello, Antioquia, on April 10, 1931, José Muñoz Ospina began studying guitar at the age of seven. Very young he went to work in Medellín, and there, with the influence of Guillermo Buitrago’s music, he began a bohemian life that made him the greatest exponent of Paisa parrandera music, thanks to compositions such as ‘Los gotereros’, ‘El mouse’ and ‘El mes de la parranda’.
His compositions were also a success thanks to the versions that Gustavo, ‘El Loco’, Quintero and The Graduates they made musical themes like ‘The neighbor’s band’, ‘The 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 1952when 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 in the country thanks to hits like ‘The Aguardientero’, ‘The Pain of a Man’, ‘Wooden Drawer’ and ‘The Corrosco’.
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 Gildardo Montoya’s song ‘How I am so strange’.
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Musician, composer and singer: goodbye to a legend of party music
About his work, the specialist and music lover Alberto Burgos Herrera says the following in his book ‘La Música Parrandera Paisa’: “José Muñoz He is one of the greatest characters of party music, as a composer, as a musician, as a singer and as a group organizer; 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.” , including work, there was no violence, there were no robberies, and everything was supremely tasty.
“Poverty was great, but we grew up happy, we grew up barefoot, but that didn’t matter to us,” Muñoz recalled in the aforementioned publication.
National Radio of Colombia.
