A household name in his native land, Escalona gained recognition abroad thanks to a new generation of vallenato musicians who popularised the genre around the world. In 1991 the composer's life and work inspired a Colombian television soap opera that launched the singer Carlos Vives. Vives later recorded Escalona's music with a rock and pop twist, and many other artists followed suit. Read the whole article here. Semana International delivers news about Colombia in English. Find more in our home.