Lisandro Meza

Lisandro Meza played an important role in the evolution of cumbia, the traditional big band dance music of Colombia. A master of vallenato sabanero, an accordion-driven style of music, Meza forged a sound that has been described as "a cross between rural Dominican merengue, Louisiana zydeco, and Tex-Mex norteño." Meza initially attracted attention as a founding member of Los Corraleros de Majagual. One of Colombia's most popular bands in the 1960s, the group served as the breeding ground for such influential artists as Fruko, the "Godfather of Salsa." Leaving Los Corraleros De...