On the Caribbean coast of Colombia, where the sun and the sea merge in an endless embrace, a musical legacy was born that has resonated through generations. Francisco el Hombre, a living expression of the vallenato tradition.

The Legend

He is a native of Galán, a village in Galán, within the jurisdiction of the municipality of Riohacha (La Guajira). According to the legend that gives life to the tradition, one night the troubadour traveled the dusty roads of the province, playing the notes of his accordion when suddenly a melody resonated in the distance and surpassed him.

His contender was a figure that could not be discerned in the darkness of the night. Suddenly, a ray of light penetrated the darkness and managed to identify the one competing against him: it was the devil himself, weakening with each note he played.

It was then, with cunning, that the Guajiro troubadour realized that it was the most important duel of his life, perhaps the last. He looked up at the sky and with determination, played the creed (Catholic prayer) backwards, causing Satan to flee into the night, leaving Francisco as the victor. In Gabriel García Márquez’s iconic work, “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” Francisco is portrayed as “an old vagabond who frequently walked through Macondo, spreading songs composed by himself.”

Francisco el Hombre Festival

The roots of Francisco el Hombre delve into vallenato folklore, thanks to the emblematic Francisco el Hombre Festival, a tradition that, with drum, guacharaca, and accordion, celebrates the triumph of good over evil.

This cultural festival began in 2008 as the only one in Colombia celebrated on the shores of the Caribbean Sea, just in front of the Riohacha Pier, where it is said that the first accordion arrived in the country from Germany.

The festival’s philosophy is a fusion of the ancient and the new, creating a unique sound that transcends musical borders, hence the slogan “a tradition with new airs.”

While the fundamental instruments (drum, guacharaca, and accordion) give substance to each musical piece, electric guitars, contemporary percussion, and elements of rock and pop are also added to bring to life a fresh and vibrant sound. This blend of tradition and experimentation has earned them recognition both nationally and internationally, establishing itself as the festival with the greatest projection of vallenato music artists, now declared an oral and intangible heritage by UNESCO.

Rotonda Francisco el Hombre

In the roundabout that unites the four cardinal points of Riohacha, on the city’s main road, emerges a man of small stature skillfully playing the accordion while subduing a fallen angel, making him cry out in bitter defeat – it is the figure of Francisco Moscote “el Hombre.”

The sculpture, created by artist Javier Julio Mendoza, stands at 5.4 meters high and 3.5 meters wide, crafted in the pigmented fiberglass technique reinforced with steel. It replaced the old image that now rests in the corregimiento of Galán, his hometown.

The city of Valledupar (Cesar), which embraced vallenato music, also pays tribute to the Guajiro troubadour with the Francisco el Hombre stage, the main platform of the iconic Plaza Alfonso López Pumarejo, established in the city center.