Jorge Luis Velosa Ruiz (born October 6, 1949) is a Colombian singer-songwriter, professor, actor, and writer, recognized as one of the leading exponents and initiators of carranguera music.
Graduated from the National University of Colombia as a veterinary physician, Velosa chose to fully dedicate himself to music and literature with a carranguero flavor.
Jorge Luis Velosa Ruiz was born on October 6, 1949, in Ráquira, a municipality in the Boyacá department, Colombia. From his childhood, he was surrounded by rural and peasant traditions that would later influence his artistic career. He grew up in a modest family that greatly valued music and the customs of their region.
Before fully dedicating himself to music, Velosa showed great interest in studies. He moved to Bogotá to continue his higher education, where he obtained the title of veterinary physician from the National University of Colombia. Although he worked as a veterinarian, he never abandoned his passion for music, which would eventually become his true vocation.
In the 1970s, while working as a veterinarian, Velosa began to investigate the potential of peasant music as a means to express the culture and traditions of his homeland. His interest in folklore drove him to experiment with carranga, a musical genre that blends traditional Andean rhythms with humorous, social, and poetic lyrics that tell the everyday life of Colombian peasants.
In 1977, Velosa founded the musical group Los Carrangueros de Ráquira along with José Luis "El Chato" Lagos, Jorge González, and Ramiro Zambrano. With this group, he succeeded in consolidating carranga as a distinctive genre within Colombian music. Los Carrangueros made popular emblematic songs such as "La cucharita," "Julia, Julia, Julia," and "La china que yo tenía," which resonated deeply among peasants and also among urban audiences who appreciated the authenticity of this musical style.
Received by the Mayor of Tunja on Farmers' Day, recognizing his cultural work.
1994
Baptism of Frog Species
Biologist John Lynch named two frog species in his honor: Pristimantis carranguerorum and Pristimantis jorgevelosai, belonging to the Strabomantidae family.
2012
Honorary Doctorate (National University of Colombia)
Received in recognition of his cultural and artistic contribution.
2023
Honorary Doctorate in Language and Culture (UPTC)
Awarded by the Pedagogical and Technological University of Colombia (UPTC) in recognition of his impact on culture and language.
