Businessmen

Adolfo Carvajal (1931- 2002). 
Founder and former owner of Carvajal INC., one of the largest editorial emporiums in Latin America.
He was also founder and member of the Board of Directors of the Institute for Promotion of Arts, PROARTES, member of several companies Board of Directors such as the Foundation Unit for Progress, ICESI, the Telephone Catalogue Publisher of Brazil, Publicar Centroamericana of Panama and member of CEAL, Businessmen Council of America.
He was born in Cali.

Aramndo Lloreda
This powerful business man is the Chairman of the Board of 'Grupo Lloreda', which is one of the most important business consortiums in the country.
Lloreda is a member of the Andi National Board Committee, as well as the president of the Board of Directors of the Valle del Cauca Financial Corporation. He was born in Cali in 1940.

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Musicians, Composers and Singers

Pedro Morales (1863-1926) – Composer, musician, and instrumentalist.
Morales Pino was the founder of “Lira Colombiana” musical group and one of the first promoters and authors of folkloric music in Colombia.
His many recognitions include the Gold Medal offered by the city of Cali and first prize in the National Music Contest.
His brilliance transfers into his many pasillos, bambucos, waltzes, dances and numerous musical pieces for orchestra. His best-known compositions are: Cuatro Preguntas, Lejos de ti and Tierra mía. Morales was born in Cartago.

Benigno Núñez "Mono Núñez" (1897-1991) – Mandolin player and composer.
This well-known interpreter of folkloric rhythms has received the affection and admiration of all Colombians.
The "Mono Núñez Festival" was created to honour the late Núñez's accomplishments. This festival is the most important Colombian folkloric music event. He was born in Ginebra (Valle del Cauca).

Antonio María Valencia (1902-1952) – Composer, pianist, soloist and orchestra director.
Maestro Valencia was not only a brilliant pianist, but a brilliant composer as well. He composed music for violin, cello and piano. His most famous pieces are Impromptu, Auve Estivale and Emociones Caucanas.
Valencia performed in some of the most prestigious concert halls in the world, and was awarded internationally as well.
He directed the Conservatory of Cali, nowadays called "Conservatorio Antonio María Valencia". He was born in Cali.

Leonor Gonzalez, "La negra grande de Colombia" – Singer.
The well known folk and popular music singer, known as "La Negra Grande de Colombia", was one of the pioneers of Colombian Pacific coast music.
Her first album, Cantos de mi tierra y de mi casa , had a great reception. She reached international fame when her extraordinary voice was heard all over the world singing the musical piece, Yo me llamo Cumbia.
Aside from the awards she received during her artistic life, she was also awarded "The Great Order of Cultural Merit" in 2009, conferred by the Department of Culture of Colombia.
Leonor González was born in Robles in 1934.

Gerardo Arellano (1946-1989) – Opera singer
This famous tenor trained and graduated with honours from the Scala of Milan (Italy).
He performed as a soloist at the Symphony Orchestra of Colombia, the Symphony Orchestras of Valle del Cauca, Antioquia, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Bogota, and was a tenor of the National Corporation Opera.
He was also a great interpreter of folk and popular music.
Arellano was born in Buga.

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Zoraida Salazar – Soprano
The outstanding opera singer Zoraida Salazar, studied music and singing at the Conservatory Antonio Maria Valencia of Cali.
While very young, she joined a Zarzuela and Operetta Company directed by Faustino Garcia. She made her debut In El barberillo de Lavapiés in Cali.
A resounding success was her appearance in the zarzuela El Rey que rabió at the Colon theatre in Bogotá.
As a member of the Faustino Garcia Company, she traveled for three years, appearing on the South American opera stages.
In 1978 she decided to go to Milan (Italy) to continue her studies in singing. She made her international debut in 1982 at La Scala Theatre in Milan.
Throughout her brilliant career, she has appeared on the stages of the world's leading Opera Houses.
Amongst the many awards she has received, are the II Rovere D'Oro, in Italy, the Luciano Pavarotti Competition Prize in Sao Paulo, Brazil. the First Prize at the Secret Marriage Opera, Competition in Turin, Italy, La Pluma de Plata to the best lyrical singer granted by the Journalists Association of Peru and El Libro de Oro for soloists, in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
In 2009, while staging the Married Widow operetta in Cali, she decided with her husband, baritone Bruno Pola, to found the "Zoraida Salazar–Dionisio Riol Lyrical Association", In this institutional Association, young singers are educated with European techniques.
The singer was born in Cali.

Music Bands

Grupo Niche – Salsa music.
Niche, a band dedicated to salsa was formed by composer Jairo Varela in 1985.
This famous band has performed on the best popular music stages. Its major success has been “Cali pachanguero”.

Son de Cali – Salsa music.
This band began its musical journey in 2002 after being created by Willy Garcia and Javier Vásquez. Their popularity sprouted in Colombia and the United States after releasing the album Estilo Propio.

Orquesta Guayacán – Salsa music.
Alexis Lozano, bass guitarist , arranger and musical director, was the founder of this salsa band. The band became famous with their hit album La hora de la verdad , which had great success among all salsa lovers.
The band received the "Best artist" award at the 2007 Premios Nuestra Tierra.

Los Patuma – Folkloric music
Founded 25 years ago in Versalles, Valle del Cauca was formed by the brothers Eliecer, Leon Dennis, Juan Carlos and Pedro Cardona Garcia. They play bambucos, pasillos waltzes and boleros.
Their albums include Mi nostalgia, Una joya colombiana and Sentimiento vivo.

Bahia Trio
Bahia Trio is an instrumental band of marimba, chonta, cununos and bass drum. Its members are: Hugo Candelario González Sevilliano (director), Jafet Andrade Mosquera and Oscar Freddy Colorado Cervantes.
Their first album was Pura Chonta. It brings to life Pacific Afro-Colombian music.

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Ballet

Fernando Montaño (Fernando Rodriguez Montaño)-
This magnificent ballet dancer started his studies in Cali and finished them in Cuba where he graduated in 2004. He placed second in 1998 and 1999, and third in 2001 at the International Ballet Contest in Havana (Cuba).
In 2005 he joined the prestigious Royal Ballet of London. In 2007, he represented the Royal Ballet with Yuhui Choe, at the Seventh International Competition for the Erik Bruhn Prize in Toronto (Canada). Montano was born in Buenaventura in 1986.

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ZUMBA AEROBICS

Alberto Perez (Beto Perez) – Choreographer, dancer and aerobics trainer.
Beto Perez was the creator of ZUMBA, the aerobics that revolutionized the world. Since very young, this talented caleño (from Cali) liked to dance.
What he lacked in formal training, though, he made up for in raw talent. At 19, he won a national lambada contest.
One of Cali 's best academies called with an offer to study dance while teaching step aerobics. Perez agreed to become an instructor.
One day he forgot the music for his class. He had one cassette with him: Latin music he had taped from the radio. He decided to play it for the class. The result was the birth of Zumba.
Perez popularity was huge. He was hired by Shakira to be her choreographer. He also worked with other prominent artists.
In 2000, Perez travelled to Miami and imposed Zumba into the world of physical exercises. A few months after his arrival, he founded "Zumba Fitness", the aerobics to burn hundreds of calories to the beat of Latin music. Zumba Fitness became a resounding success worldwide.
Nowadays, five million people take Zumba classes every week from 30,000 certified instructors in 75 countries, and more than five million DVDs have been sold.
Since 2003, Zumba has appeared in thousands of cereals boxes everywhere, as an incentive to lower weight.
In 2010 the Zumbawear line of clothing and accessories for aerobics entered into the sporting goods business.