Galy Galiano

Colombian singer and multi-instrumentalist Carmelo “Galy” Galiano made history as the first artist from his home country to enter the Billboard Hot 100, and has since continued to bag a plethora of awards and chart-toppers over the course of his forty-year-strong career. Born in Chiriguana, César on February 10th, 1958, the seasoned songwriter first made a name for himself as the bassist for his childhood band, Los Diamantes del César. Increasingly exploring romantic ballads in the following years, he went on to collaborate with producer Ricardo Acosta on his 1981 debut album, Frío de ausencia. It soon found international chart success; “Espérame”, “Escríbeme” and the LP’s title track all simultaneously landed spots on the US charts, marking another landmark achievement for a Colombian musician. Continuing to release albums on a near-annual basis throughout the 1980s and 1990s, he quickly added another string to his bow: salsa music. Following on from the success of his 1991 single “Cómo la quiero, cuánto la extraño”, he recorded a full LP in the same vein entitled Solo Salsa, which spawned another hit single in the form of “La cita”. By 1996, he had delved into yet another genre. Amor de primavera—Galiano’s take on ranchera music—found great success, selling over 400,000 copies. This personal best was subsequently surpassed by his next LP, 1996’s Me bebí tu recuerdo, which shifted over half a million units and topped specialist ranchero charts. Since the millennium, he has continued to periodically release new albums which have included hits like 2000's "Vendo el Alma", while also packaging his back catalogue into a spate of compilations celebrating his life’s work.