Latin Grammy-Nominated Singer Omar Geles Dead at 57

The vallenato singer and songwriter earned Latin Grammy nominations for his albums 'Prueba Superada' and 'Histórico – A Dúo Con Los Grandes.'

By Allison Schonter

Omar Geles, the Latin Grammy-nominated vallenato singer who rose to fame with the group Los Diablitos in the 1980s before embarking on a solo career, has died. Geles passed away on Tuesday, May 21, at the Erasmo Clinic in Valledupar, Colombia, according to local reports. He was 57.

Geles' passing came just days after he took the stage as a guest artist at Silvestre Dangond's concert at El Campín Stadium in Bogotá on May 18 in what would become his final performance, per Billboard. Although Geles' cause of death has not been disclosed, his PR representative Paul Bolaños said in a statement, per El Nuevo Siglo, that the musician was rushed to the hospital after suffering a heart attack while playing tennis. He reportedly passed away soon after arriving at the hospital.

His death came amid a string of recent health struggles, with Geles suffering a "decompensation" on April 27 following a show in Miami, according to Colombian newspaper El Tiempo. Geles was treated at a hospital and recovered, writing on X (formerly Twitter) on April 28, "being grateful is the most precious gift and I have no way to repay you because you were attentive to my health." He added, "I still have a big handful of songs to give you."

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Born on Feb. 15, 1967, Geles rose to fame in the '80s after he and Miguel Morales created the group Los Diablitos in 1985. Together, the pair released hits such as "Los Caminos de la Vida" and "Cómo le Pago a mi Dios" before they went their separate ways, Geles in 2004 changing the name of Los Diablitos to La Gente de Omar Geles. After embarking on his solo career with the release of Una Historia cantada in 2010, according to Pinkvilla, Geles received two Latin Grammy nominations for best cumbia/vallenato album in the last decade – in 2010 for Prueba Superada, and in 2012 for Histórico – A Dúo Con Los Grandes.

News of his passing sparked an outpouring of tributes, with Morales writing on Instagram, "The paths of life are like this... OMAR GELES, today my heart expresses with my tears of pain your departure. You were my partner, my brother, my friend, colleague, and my source of what I am today." Carlos Vives, who shared the screen with Geles in the TV series Escalona, shared, "It's not easy to accept that an artist like Omar Geles, with so much talent, so much joy, so many stories to tell, so much love for people has suddenly left. I could tell you many stories of a truly fraternal, unselfish artist that was loved by all. I will miss you dear Omar. Rest in peace."

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