Totó La Momposina

Totó La Momposina's entire life has been dedicated to representing the music of Colombia’s Caribbean coastline. As a singer, dancer and teacher she embodies that fertile place where Colombia’s African, Indigenous Indian and Spanish cultures mingle to create a unique musical tradition. Whilst still a child, civil war forced Totó to flee her home and move to the capital Bogotá. There her mother started a dance group from which Totó emerged as a promising singer in the 1960s. She began touring internationally a decade later but it wasn’t until the early 1990s that her global fame was cemented by a WOMAD tour across three continents, the release of La Candela Viva on Real World Records and the many international shows and further recordings that followed. She worked tirelessly to promote the music of her homeland, driven by passion and the simple joy of performance. Totó retired in 2022.