Garzón y Collazos

Garzón y Collazos was the Colombian duet of Darío Garzón Charry (guitar) and Eduardo Collazos Varón (tiple), formed in Ibagué in 1938 after the two musicians had crossed paths in local groups and studies tied to the Conservatorio del Tolima. They made their official debut that year in Ibagué with “Hurí,” built their first audience through radio appearances on Ondas de Ibagué and La Voz del Tolima, recorded in Cuba for RCA Victor, and mounted a first national tour in 1945 before settling in Bogotá in 1950. From there they became closely associated with Sonolux while also recording for Lyra, Vergara, and Codiscos, eventually building a catalog said to span 216 songs across bambuco, pasillo, guabina, bunde, torbellino, rajaleña, and vals. Their repertoire included major Colombian standards such as “Soy colombiano,” “Soy tolimense,” “Bunde tolimense,” “Los Guaduales,” “Yo También Tuve 20 Años,” “Espumas,” and “Pueblito Viejo,” and their recorded work was issued across albums including Cantan Garzón y Collazos. As their profile grew, they toured widely across Latin America and also reached Carnegie Hall in the United States. By the 1960s they were widely known as the “Príncipes de la canción colombiana,” a title linked to the impact of their live performances in Bogotá. The duo remained active until Eduardo Collazos died in 1977; their legacy was later honored with Ibagué’s Garzón y Collazos acoustic shell in 1983 and the Festival Nacional de Música Colombiana, created in their memory in 1987.