Rafael Orozco

Rafael José Orozco Maestre, known as Rafael Orozco, was a Colombian singer born on March 24, 1954, in Becerril. He initially performed rancheras and ballads inspired by Mexican films and Yaco Monti's music. His breakthrough came with "Cariñito de mi vida" (1975). In 1976, he co-founded El Binomio de Oro with Israel Romero, with whom he released albums like Por lo Alto (1977), Clase aparte (1980), and De América (1991). The group won three Congos de Oro at the Festival de Orquestas in Barranquilla and earned sixteen gold and two platinum discs. On June 11, 1992, Orozco was fatally shot outside his home in Barranquilla. In 2026, the 59th edition of the Vallenato Legend Festival honored the musical legacy of Orozco, Romero, and El Binomio de Oro, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the band's founding.