WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.779 Okay, let's unpack this. We throw around the 00:00:02.779 --> 00:00:04.980 word king in music all the time, right? Yeah, 00:00:05.719 --> 00:00:07.580 you've got the king of pop, the king of rock 00:00:07.580 --> 00:00:10.240 and roll, king of country, but usually, I mean, 00:00:10.320 --> 00:00:12.099 that's just a marketing term. Right, a nickname 00:00:12.099 --> 00:00:14.859 from a fan club or a really clever PR agent. 00:00:15.240 --> 00:00:18.859 Exactly. But today, for this deep dive, we are 00:00:18.859 --> 00:00:22.140 looking at someone who literally holds the title 00:00:22.140 --> 00:00:26.100 like officiated, stamped, and certified of King 00:00:26.100 --> 00:00:28.579 of Kings. It sounds like hyperbole, doesn't it? 00:00:28.600 --> 00:00:31.760 Yeah. But in this specific corner of the music 00:00:31.760 --> 00:00:35.579 world, it is a literal, almost military rank. 00:00:35.880 --> 00:00:37.700 We're talking about the high stakes world of 00:00:37.700 --> 00:00:40.039 Valleonato music. Yeah. And the man sitting on 00:00:40.039 --> 00:00:43.079 that throne is Gonzalo Arturo Molina Mejia. Better 00:00:43.079 --> 00:00:45.039 known to the world and honestly to anyone who 00:00:45.039 --> 00:00:48.060 has ever hummed a Colombian folk song as El Cocha 00:00:48.060 --> 00:00:51.000 Molina. Exactly. And to really understand El 00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:53.119 Cocha, you have to understand that he didn't 00:00:53.119 --> 00:00:56.679 just sell records or get a lot of streams. He 00:00:56.679 --> 00:00:59.460 conquered a very specific, very brutal competitive 00:00:59.460 --> 00:01:02.219 circuit to earn that title. It's a distinction 00:01:02.219 --> 00:01:05.099 held by very, very few people in history. And 00:01:05.099 --> 00:01:07.700 I want to get into that competition because looking 00:01:07.700 --> 00:01:10.019 at the research for this deep dive, it looks 00:01:10.019 --> 00:01:12.319 more like a gladiator match than a battle of 00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:14.980 the bands. It really does. But before we get 00:01:14.980 --> 00:01:16.780 to the arena, let's set the stage for everyone 00:01:16.780 --> 00:01:19.739 listening. We're pulling from festival archives, 00:01:20.260 --> 00:01:22.400 biographical records from the Department of Caesar 00:01:22.400 --> 00:01:25.939 in Columbia, and a discography that basically 00:01:25.939 --> 00:01:28.760 reads like a phone book of Latin music legends. 00:01:28.980 --> 00:01:31.180 It's a massive catalog and our mission today 00:01:31.180 --> 00:01:34.140 is really to connect to very different worlds. 00:01:34.579 --> 00:01:36.959 On one side, you have the hyper -traditional 00:01:36.959 --> 00:01:39.920 folklore of rural Columbia. Very strict. Very 00:01:39.920 --> 00:01:42.260 purist, like where you lose points if you play 00:01:42.260 --> 00:01:44.060 a single note wrong. And then on the other side, 00:01:44.120 --> 00:01:47.019 you have international pop stardom, Grammy Awards, 00:01:48.099 --> 00:01:50.840 and, well, Gloria Estefan. Which is just a wild 00:01:50.840 --> 00:01:53.700 combination. It is. And El Cocho Molina is the 00:01:53.700 --> 00:01:56.099 bridge between those two universes. He's the 00:01:56.099 --> 00:01:58.299 guy who can please the grumpy judge at the Folklore 00:01:58.299 --> 00:02:01.459 Festival and the dancing crowd in Miami. at the 00:02:01.459 --> 00:02:03.420 exact same time. So let's start at the beginning. 00:02:03.500 --> 00:02:06.680 We are in Petillo, Colombia. It's June 1965. 00:02:07.079 --> 00:02:09.599 Right. A small town in the department of Cesar. 00:02:10.259 --> 00:02:13.099 This is the absolute heartland of Valle Natto. 00:02:13.460 --> 00:02:15.520 If you throw a stone in Patial, you're probably 00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:17.740 going to hit a composer or an accordion player. 00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:22.319 Right. And for Gonzalo or El Cocha, the nickname 00:02:22.319 --> 00:02:25.650 actually comes first. It wasn't some stage name 00:02:25.650 --> 00:02:27.689 he invented later to sound tough. I was going 00:02:27.689 --> 00:02:30.050 to ask about that. El Cocha sounds a bit mysterious. 00:02:30.189 --> 00:02:32.530 Is it slang or something? No, it's actually just 00:02:32.530 --> 00:02:34.870 a pet name from his mother, Estella Mejia. Oh, 00:02:34.870 --> 00:02:36.689 really? Yeah, it's one of those childhood things, 00:02:36.830 --> 00:02:38.969 kind of like being called Junior or Bubba that 00:02:38.969 --> 00:02:40.969 just stuck. But, you know, while the name was 00:02:40.969 --> 00:02:44.069 soft, the environment he was born into was incredibly 00:02:44.069 --> 00:02:48.590 intense. His father, Arturo Molina, was a professional 00:02:48.590 --> 00:02:51.370 musician. A guitarist, right? Yes. And not just 00:02:51.370 --> 00:02:53.750 a strummer in the background. He was the guitarist 00:02:53.750 --> 00:02:57.370 for Jorge Oñate's group. Wow. For context for 00:02:57.370 --> 00:03:00.129 our listeners, Jorge Oñate is one of the absolute 00:03:00.129 --> 00:03:03.090 pillars of the genre. He's often called El Higuero 00:03:03.090 --> 00:03:05.849 de America. So Cocha grows up watching his dad 00:03:05.849 --> 00:03:08.330 play guitar for a living legend. Naturally, you'd 00:03:08.330 --> 00:03:10.610 expect the kid to pick up a guitar. Like father, 00:03:10.750 --> 00:03:14.889 like son. You would think. But at age six, the 00:03:14.889 --> 00:03:18.490 trajectory changes completely. His uncle, Evaristo 00:03:18.490 --> 00:03:21.580 Gutierrez, hands him an accordion. Ah, the classic 00:03:21.580 --> 00:03:24.039 cool uncle intervention. Changed everything. 00:03:24.400 --> 00:03:27.139 And we should note, this uncle, Evaristo, wasn't 00:03:27.139 --> 00:03:30.000 just some random relative. He was the father 00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:33.099 of Gustavo Gutiérrez Cabello, a famous songwriter 00:03:33.099 --> 00:03:36.120 known as the Poet of Valianato. OK, so no matter 00:03:36.120 --> 00:03:38.620 where this kid turned, he was bumping into a 00:03:38.620 --> 00:03:41.199 musical prodigy. Exactly. It was just in the 00:03:41.199 --> 00:03:43.349 DNA. I think it's important to clarify for you 00:03:43.349 --> 00:03:45.110 listening right now. When we say accordion here, 00:03:45.250 --> 00:03:47.009 we aren't talking about polka. We aren't talking 00:03:47.009 --> 00:03:50.830 about like a guy in Liederhosen or a French cafe 00:03:50.830 --> 00:03:53.550 atmosphere. Trucial distinction. In Vannanato, 00:03:53.710 --> 00:03:56.629 the accordion is the lead guitar, the synthesizer 00:03:56.629 --> 00:03:59.590 and the vocalist all wrapped into one, is the 00:03:59.590 --> 00:04:02.430 aggressive driving force of the band. It's a 00:04:02.430 --> 00:04:05.550 loud, demanding instrument that requires incredible 00:04:05.550 --> 00:04:08.039 physical stamina. So he gets this demanding instrument 00:04:08.039 --> 00:04:11.000 at six. Does he immediately drop out of society 00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:13.860 to become a hermit monk of the accordion? Surprisingly, 00:04:14.080 --> 00:04:16.740 no. And this is where the story almost went in 00:04:16.740 --> 00:04:19.639 a completely different direction. He followed 00:04:19.639 --> 00:04:22.139 a very traditional educational path at first. 00:04:22.160 --> 00:04:25.420 OK. He went to primary school at Collegio Parochial 00:04:25.420 --> 00:04:28.360 in Valdupar, then secondary school at Collegio 00:04:28.360 --> 00:04:31.379 National Loparena, and finished up his high school 00:04:31.379 --> 00:04:35.399 years in Bogota at Collegio Chikinkira. So he's 00:04:35.399 --> 00:04:38.500 a good student. He's educated. He was. In fact, 00:04:38.560 --> 00:04:40.720 he actually enrolled in university. He studied 00:04:40.720 --> 00:04:42.740 business administration for three semesters. 00:04:43.040 --> 00:04:45.040 Business administration. That is the ultimate 00:04:45.040 --> 00:04:47.360 plan B. We almost had Gonzalo Molina, the mid 00:04:47.360 --> 00:04:49.439 -level manager. Or an accountant, yeah. Yeah. 00:04:49.439 --> 00:04:51.379 Imagine him sitting in a macroeconomics class 00:04:51.379 --> 00:04:53.060 trying to focus on supply and demand graphs. 00:04:53.930 --> 00:04:57.269 In his head, he's hearing the clave rhythm. He's 00:04:57.269 --> 00:04:59.310 just thinking about the festival in Valladupar. 00:04:59.730 --> 00:05:01.509 And eventually, the pull was just too strong. 00:05:01.790 --> 00:05:04.470 He dropped out to play full time. It's that classic 00:05:04.470 --> 00:05:07.529 crossroads moment, the safe path versus the dream. 00:05:07.910 --> 00:05:09.810 And in his case, the dream wasn't just, I want 00:05:09.810 --> 00:05:12.829 to be famous. It was, I want to compete. And 00:05:12.829 --> 00:05:14.930 that brings us to the Velenado Legend Festival. 00:05:15.350 --> 00:05:17.910 Help us understand the stakes here. Because I 00:05:17.910 --> 00:05:20.430 hear the word festival, and I think of Coachella 00:05:20.430 --> 00:05:23.569 people wearing wristbands, walking in mud, listening 00:05:23.569 --> 00:05:26.329 to bands in a field. No, this is much closer 00:05:26.329 --> 00:05:29.129 to the Olympics. Yeah. Or maybe a very intense 00:05:29.129 --> 00:05:32.269 chess tournament with loud music. OK. The Valiant 00:05:32.269 --> 00:05:35.110 Auto Legend Festival began in the late 60s specifically 00:05:35.110 --> 00:05:37.750 to preserve the traditions. They have categories, 00:05:38.149 --> 00:05:41.110 child, amateur, and professional. You go up on 00:05:41.110 --> 00:05:44.029 stage, and you are judged by a panel of absolute 00:05:44.029 --> 00:05:46.850 experts on your technique, your timing, and your 00:05:46.850 --> 00:05:49.129 adherence to the roots. So if you mess up, you 00:05:49.129 --> 00:05:50.949 don't just have a bad gig, you actually lose 00:05:50.949 --> 00:05:53.990 your ranking. Exactly. And Kocha entered the 00:05:53.990 --> 00:05:57.550 fray early. In 1978, he competed in the child 00:05:57.550 --> 00:06:00.269 accordionist category. He had his little band, 00:06:00.430 --> 00:06:02.870 Ovani Gomez, on vocals, and Wilder Gomez on the 00:06:02.870 --> 00:06:04.910 kasha, which is that traditional hand drum. Did 00:06:04.910 --> 00:06:07.589 he win? He came in second. Oof. Who beat him? 00:06:07.720 --> 00:06:11.439 his own cousin. No. Yes, Chi -Chi Meister. That 00:06:11.439 --> 00:06:13.300 is rough. I mean, losing is one thing, but losing 00:06:13.300 --> 00:06:15.160 to your cousin at the family reunion is another 00:06:15.160 --> 00:06:17.300 level of awkwardness. Like, pass the potatoes, 00:06:17.459 --> 00:06:19.759 Mr. Second Place. It probably fueled the fire, 00:06:20.399 --> 00:06:22.339 honestly, because he didn't give up. He came 00:06:22.339 --> 00:06:25.240 back in 1982, now a bit older, and entered the 00:06:25.240 --> 00:06:28.939 amateur category. And this time, he won. OK, 00:06:28.959 --> 00:06:31.300 so he's climbing the ladder, channeled prodigy, 00:06:31.439 --> 00:06:34.180 then amateur champion. Next step is the big leagues, 00:06:34.519 --> 00:06:37.240 the professional category. Exactly. And this 00:06:37.240 --> 00:06:39.819 is where he hits another major speed bump. He 00:06:39.819 --> 00:06:42.040 enters the professional competition in 1989, 00:06:42.579 --> 00:06:45.100 and he comes in second again. The always the 00:06:45.100 --> 00:06:47.379 bridesmaid vibe is starting to set in. Who beat 00:06:47.379 --> 00:06:50.740 him this time? Omar Jealous. Omar Jealous. That's 00:06:50.740 --> 00:06:52.360 a name that looms pretty large in this genre, 00:06:52.540 --> 00:06:56.339 right? Huge. Omar Jealous is a titan of Aonado. 00:06:56.480 --> 00:06:58.860 He's a singer, songwriter, and accordionist. 00:06:59.300 --> 00:07:01.839 So losing to him is no shame, but for someone 00:07:01.839 --> 00:07:04.660 as competitive as Molina, it had to sting. It 00:07:04.660 --> 00:07:06.800 really set up a rivalry. So what does he do? 00:07:06.860 --> 00:07:09.160 Does he retreat? No, he doubles down. He comes 00:07:09.160 --> 00:07:12.019 back the very next year, 1990, and he brings 00:07:12.019 --> 00:07:14.579 a powerhouse team with him. He's got Yvonne Villazon 00:07:14.579 --> 00:07:17.600 on vocals and the Guacharaca. Let's explain the 00:07:17.600 --> 00:07:19.500 Guacharaca for a second, just so everyone listening 00:07:19.500 --> 00:07:21.680 can visualize it. It's a percussion instrument, 00:07:21.819 --> 00:07:24.420 essentially a wooden scraper, often made from 00:07:24.420 --> 00:07:26.870 a cane -like plant. It provides that driving, 00:07:27.089 --> 00:07:28.709 scratching rhythm, chuka -chuka -chuka, that 00:07:28.709 --> 00:07:30.550 cuts through all the noise. How about it? So 00:07:30.550 --> 00:07:33.389 he has Vilazanon on the scraper and vocals, and 00:07:33.389 --> 00:07:36.170 Augusto Guerra on the caja drum. He wasn't messing 00:07:36.170 --> 00:07:38.569 around this time. Not at all. And to win, you 00:07:38.569 --> 00:07:41.290 can't just play one good song. You have to demonstrate 00:07:41.290 --> 00:07:44.490 absolute mastery of four specific rhythms. Which 00:07:44.490 --> 00:07:47.790 are? Paseo, morang, sun, and puya. It's like 00:07:47.790 --> 00:07:49.689 a triathlon. You have to be good at swimming, 00:07:49.970 --> 00:07:51.850 biking, and running. You can't just be a good 00:07:51.850 --> 00:07:54.379 runner. Precisely. And looking at the archives, 00:07:54.819 --> 00:07:58.680 his setlist for that 1990 victory was impeccable. 00:07:59.259 --> 00:08:01.620 For the Paseo, which is a narrative mid -tempo 00:08:01.620 --> 00:08:04.259 style used for storytelling, he played El Paulo 00:08:04.259 --> 00:08:07.720 Vaillanato by Luisy Martinez. Okay. For the Meringue, 00:08:07.779 --> 00:08:09.879 which is faster and has a distinct 6 '8 feel, 00:08:10.220 --> 00:08:12.759 he played Rosita, also by Martinez. Keeping it 00:08:12.759 --> 00:08:14.910 in the same wheelhouse, yeah. Then for The Sun, 00:08:15.050 --> 00:08:17.730 he went with a classic. The Sun is slow, mournful, 00:08:17.870 --> 00:08:20.810 almost bluesy. It requires real soul. He played 00:08:20.810 --> 00:08:24.009 Penny Delor, which means pain and sorrow by the 00:08:24.009 --> 00:08:27.670 legendary Alejo Duran. Oh. And finally, for The 00:08:27.670 --> 00:08:30.509 Puyah, which is the fastest, most technically 00:08:30.509 --> 00:08:34.990 demanding rhythm, he played Dejala Venir by Naffar 00:08:34.990 --> 00:08:37.409 Duran. Just listing those names, Alejo Duran, 00:08:37.509 --> 00:08:39.409 Naffar Duran, those are heavy hitters. He was 00:08:39.409 --> 00:08:41.549 clearly channeling the deep history of the genre. 00:08:41.649 --> 00:08:45.320 And it worked. In 1990, Alcocha Molina was crowned 00:08:45.320 --> 00:08:47.480 the Vallenado King. So he did it. He reached 00:08:47.480 --> 00:08:50.240 the top of the mountain. He did. But in the world 00:08:50.240 --> 00:08:53.120 of Vallenado, there's a peak higher than the 00:08:53.120 --> 00:08:55.480 mountain. The King of Kings. The Rey de Reyes. 00:08:55.740 --> 00:08:58.379 This isn't an annual event. It's a special competition 00:08:58.379 --> 00:09:00.919 held only periodically, often every 10 years. 00:09:01.129 --> 00:09:03.769 or for special anniversaries. And it is open 00:09:03.769 --> 00:09:06.929 only to past winners of the professional category. 00:09:07.070 --> 00:09:08.769 So it's the Champions League. You can't just 00:09:08.769 --> 00:09:11.389 walk in off the street. It is the ultimate test. 00:09:11.789 --> 00:09:15.070 In 1997, the festival held a King of Kings competition. 00:09:15.570 --> 00:09:17.529 Melina threw his hat in the ring. Who was he 00:09:17.529 --> 00:09:20.350 up against? The best of the best. Chiche Martinez, 00:09:20.870 --> 00:09:23.570 Juan David Herrera, Freddie Sierra. and Omar 00:09:23.570 --> 00:09:26.789 Jaisley's. The guy who beat him in 89, the nemesis. 00:09:27.029 --> 00:09:28.929 The narrative arc is perfect. It was a rematch. 00:09:29.250 --> 00:09:32.750 And this time in 1997, on the biggest stage possible, 00:09:33.250 --> 00:09:36.009 El Cocho Molina took the crown. He defeated Omar 00:09:36.009 --> 00:09:39.330 Jalis, who came in second. Sweet, sweet victory. 00:09:39.409 --> 00:09:41.690 That has to feel good. It's cemented his legacy. 00:09:42.370 --> 00:09:44.330 He's often referred to as the second King of 00:09:44.330 --> 00:09:46.409 Kings in the history of the festival, marking 00:09:46.409 --> 00:09:49.740 a major milestone. He proved that 1990 wasn't 00:09:49.740 --> 00:09:53.039 a fluke. So by 1997, he has proven he is technically 00:09:53.039 --> 00:09:55.799 the best accordion player in the land. But we 00:09:55.799 --> 00:09:57.679 also know that technical skill doesn't always 00:09:57.679 --> 00:10:00.340 translate to selling records. You can be a festival 00:10:00.340 --> 00:10:02.700 darling and nobody buys your albums because you're 00:10:02.700 --> 00:10:04.899 too, I don't know, academic. That is the other 00:10:04.899 --> 00:10:07.360 side of the coin for sure. But Molina had that 00:10:07.360 --> 00:10:09.899 covered too. While he was battling it out in 00:10:09.899 --> 00:10:12.919 the festivals, he was simultaneously building 00:10:12.919 --> 00:10:15.720 a massive recording career. And he wasn't recording 00:10:15.720 --> 00:10:18.879 with just anybody. No. In the 1980s, before he 00:10:18.879 --> 00:10:21.899 even won the King title, he had a hugely successful 00:10:21.899 --> 00:10:25.120 run with Dainites Diaz. Dainites is arguably 00:10:25.120 --> 00:10:27.379 the biggest Valleanato singer of all time, right? 00:10:27.600 --> 00:10:30.500 The Cacique of La Junta. Without a doubt. They 00:10:30.500 --> 00:10:33.179 released a string of albums El Mundo in 1984, 00:10:33.960 --> 00:10:38.019 Valleanato in 1985, Brindocan El Alma in 1986, 00:10:38.360 --> 00:10:41.549 and Incontenables in 1987. That's a lot of music. 00:10:41.769 --> 00:10:43.929 That four -year run basically defined the sound 00:10:43.929 --> 00:10:46.429 of the mid -80s. If you go to a party in Columbia 00:10:46.429 --> 00:10:48.730 today, you will still hear those songs. That 00:10:48.730 --> 00:10:51.330 is incredible output. So he's touring with the 00:10:51.330 --> 00:10:53.269 biggest rock star in the country and then going 00:10:53.269 --> 00:10:55.409 home to practice his scales for the competition. 00:10:55.590 --> 00:10:58.730 Exactly. And they even reunited later in 2002 00:10:58.730 --> 00:11:01.600 for the album Gracias a Dios. But he also had 00:11:01.600 --> 00:11:03.539 that key partnership with Yvonne de Lausanne, 00:11:03.679 --> 00:11:05.820 the guy who was in his band for the 1990 win. 00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:08.360 Right, I saw that in the notes. Starting in 1988, 00:11:08.519 --> 00:11:11.360 they put out albums like Porte Valadupar and 00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:13.940 an Amarado de Ella. This period really established 00:11:13.940 --> 00:11:16.019 Molina as a hit maker, not just a competition 00:11:16.019 --> 00:11:18.139 player. OK, so he's dominating the local scene. 00:11:18.200 --> 00:11:20.720 He's the king. He's selling records with Diomedes 00:11:20.720 --> 00:11:23.320 and Villazon. But here is the curveball that 00:11:23.320 --> 00:11:25.580 I found in the research that genuinely surprised 00:11:25.580 --> 00:11:28.139 me, Gloria Estefan. This is where it gets fascinating. 00:11:28.379 --> 00:11:31.700 I mean, Gloria Estefan is global pop royalty. 00:11:32.399 --> 00:11:34.600 Conga rhythm is going to get you, Miami sound 00:11:34.600 --> 00:11:37.460 machine. How does a Valleanato accordionist from 00:11:37.460 --> 00:11:41.169 Patil fit into that world? Well, in 1995, Gloria 00:11:41.169 --> 00:11:43.529 Estefan released an album called Abriendo Puertas, 00:11:43.809 --> 00:11:46.029 which means opening doors. It was a departure 00:11:46.029 --> 00:11:48.789 for her. It was very focused on traditional Colombian 00:11:48.789 --> 00:11:50.710 and Latin American rhythms. She wanted to move 00:11:50.710 --> 00:11:53.529 away from the synthesizer heavy pop and do something 00:11:53.529 --> 00:11:55.830 truly organic. But surely she could have just 00:11:55.830 --> 00:11:58.529 hired a studio musician in Miami to imitate the 00:11:58.529 --> 00:12:00.769 sound. She could have, but she didn't want an 00:12:00.769 --> 00:12:03.009 imitation. She wanted the authentic grit. She 00:12:03.009 --> 00:12:05.690 wanted the real deal. So she called El Cocha. 00:12:05.830 --> 00:12:08.490 So she calls the king. She gets El Cocha. He 00:12:08.490 --> 00:12:10.690 played on the album. And here is the kicker. 00:12:11.029 --> 00:12:13.289 That album didn't just do well, it won a Grammy 00:12:13.289 --> 00:12:16.909 award. And not a Latin Grammy, a U .S. Grammy. 00:12:17.070 --> 00:12:19.470 So we have a guy who started out losing to his 00:12:19.470 --> 00:12:21.750 cousin in a child competition in Vela Dupar, 00:12:21.950 --> 00:12:24.110 now contributing to a Grammy -winning album with 00:12:24.110 --> 00:12:27.090 a global superstar. It shows the universality 00:12:27.090 --> 00:12:30.129 of his playing. He could play Penny Delor for 00:12:30.129 --> 00:12:32.610 the purists at the festival, adhering to rules 00:12:32.610 --> 00:12:35.120 written decades ago. and then turn around and 00:12:35.120 --> 00:12:37.220 lay down tracks that would be heard in Miami, 00:12:37.279 --> 00:12:39.360 New York, and Madrid. It really bridges that 00:12:39.360 --> 00:12:41.139 gap, and I noticed he also ended up playing with 00:12:41.139 --> 00:12:44.279 his dad's old boss. Yes, the full circle moment. 00:12:45.159 --> 00:12:48.360 In 1997, the exact same year he became King of 00:12:48.360 --> 00:12:50.759 Kings, he started collaborating with Jorge Oñate. 00:12:50.919 --> 00:12:53.159 His dad must have been incredibly proud, taking 00:12:53.159 --> 00:12:55.059 the seat his father watched from the sidelines. 00:12:55.259 --> 00:12:58.220 I imagine so. They released several albums together, 00:12:58.480 --> 00:13:00.399 like El de Todos Los tiempos and Sun Universal. 00:13:00.600 --> 00:13:04.000 And even into the 2000s and 2010s, Molina just 00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:06.220 kept evolving. He teamed up with Pancho Zuleta 00:13:06.220 --> 00:13:08.620 for albums like Columbia, Condevinado, and Peral 00:13:08.620 --> 00:13:10.740 and La Raya. He just never stopped working with 00:13:10.740 --> 00:13:13.240 the top -tier talent. Never. He's been relevant 00:13:13.240 --> 00:13:16.399 for over four decades. Most artists are lucky 00:13:16.399 --> 00:13:19.480 to have one good decade. Kocha has spanned generations. 00:13:19.879 --> 00:13:23.059 So when we look at this trajectory, born in Patilio, 00:13:23.480 --> 00:13:25.659 drops out of business school, wins the amateur 00:13:25.659 --> 00:13:28.980 title, loses the pro title, comes back and wins 00:13:28.980 --> 00:13:32.029 it... Wins King of Kings, records with Diomedes, 00:13:32.190 --> 00:13:35.529 records with Gloria Estefan. What is the big 00:13:35.529 --> 00:13:38.009 takeaway here for us? I think the takeaway is 00:13:38.009 --> 00:13:40.590 about the balance between discipline and adaptability. 00:13:41.269 --> 00:13:43.850 To win the King of Kings, you have to be a purist. 00:13:44.070 --> 00:13:46.649 You have to respect the rules, the history, the 00:13:46.649 --> 00:13:49.129 specific rhythms like the sun and the puya. You 00:13:49.129 --> 00:13:51.769 simply cannot fake that. Right. If you try to 00:13:51.769 --> 00:13:53.529 improvise too much, the judges will just ring 00:13:53.529 --> 00:13:56.049 the bell on you. Exactly. But to have the career 00:13:56.049 --> 00:13:58.029 he's had, you also have to be open. You have 00:13:58.029 --> 00:14:00.750 to be willing to collaborate, to try new things, 00:14:01.110 --> 00:14:03.850 to step onto a stage with a pop star. El Cucho 00:14:03.850 --> 00:14:06.129 Molina proves you can be the guardian of tradition 00:14:06.129 --> 00:14:08.950 and a global ambassador at the exact same time. 00:14:09.190 --> 00:14:11.309 It's not an either or situation. You don't have 00:14:11.309 --> 00:14:13.769 to choose between being respected and being popular. 00:14:14.049 --> 00:14:16.330 Exactly. You know, it raises an interesting question 00:14:16.330 --> 00:14:19.460 for you listening to Chuan. We often talk about 00:14:19.460 --> 00:14:22.639 saving folklore or traditional music, and usually 00:14:22.639 --> 00:14:24.639 people think that means keeping it in a glass 00:14:24.639 --> 00:14:27.080 case, never changing a single note. Right, preserving 00:14:27.080 --> 00:14:29.879 it in amber. That museum approach. But Molina 00:14:29.879 --> 00:14:31.799 took those traditional sounds and put them on 00:14:31.799 --> 00:14:35.440 a record that won a U .S. Grammy. So does true 00:14:35.440 --> 00:14:38.639 preservation actually require evolution? Do you 00:14:38.639 --> 00:14:40.820 have to be willing to share your Pena y Dolor 00:14:40.820 --> 00:14:43.279 with the world to keep it alive? Or does the 00:14:43.279 --> 00:14:45.759 King of Kings title prove that the pure, untouched 00:14:45.759 --> 00:14:48.299 tradition is still the ultimate standard? That 00:14:48.299 --> 00:14:50.980 is a great question to leave on. Maybe the answer 00:14:50.980 --> 00:14:53.240 is in the accordion itself. If you want to hear 00:14:53.240 --> 00:14:54.759 it for yourself, I'd suggest a little listening 00:14:54.759 --> 00:14:58.720 experiment. Go find a recording of his 1990 festival 00:14:58.720 --> 00:15:01.299 performance, listen to the raw speed of that 00:15:01.299 --> 00:15:04.620 puya, and then go put on a Brindo Puertas by 00:15:04.620 --> 00:15:07.220 Gloria Estefan. Try to hear the thread that connects 00:15:07.220 --> 00:15:09.419 them. It's the same soul, just a different stage. 00:15:09.740 --> 00:15:11.940 That's it for this deep dive on the accordion 00:15:11.940 --> 00:15:14.120 royalty, Alcocha Molina. Thanks for listening. 00:15:14.279 --> 00:15:14.960 Until next time.