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Amazon Music presents “El Gran Varon”, the salsa classic with a Colombian version

Amazon Music presents an exclusive version of the song, “The Great Man” performed by the recent Grammy winner for best new artist 2021, Juliana Velázquez. This was written in 1986 by the composer, Omar Alfanno, and sung by the legend of salsa music, Willie Colón, together with his group Legal Alien.

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“Salsa is a genre that has had a significant influence on my musical career, and it tells many stories, which has been inspiring in the way I compose my songs. Making the cover of ‘El Gran Varon’, a song ahead of its time and that expresses the difficulties and struggles of the LGBTIQ+ community, is the perfect complement to pay tribute to this movement”, indicated Juliana Velázquez.

For ONErpm, the service company for independent artists, this campaign, which was carried out together with Amazon Music and the Latin Grammy artist Juliana, is an opportunity to amplify the voices of the LGBTIQ+ community and their fight for equality, through the power of music and art.

“At Amazon Music we continue to bet on exclusive content to continue surprising all our customers. In line with the above, we bring one of the most acclaimed salsa classics “El Gran Varon”, performed by a female voice that is representing the new generations”, affirmed Federico Pedersen, Head of Amazon Music Latam.

The exclusive song is available on the “Orgullo” playlist, one of the initiatives that Amazon Music developed to support and give visibility to artists from the LGBTIQ+ community. This interpretation is also included in playlists such as Platinum, Made in Colombia and Tierra Tropical, where you can also see the video.

The Great Man

The song tells the life of Simón, rejected by Andrés, his father, for being a transvestite. Simón travels to the United States and initiates his transition. Her father went to visit her and rejects him. Years later Simón dies of AIDS at only 30 years of age; her father regrets it, but it is too late. According to Alfanno, El Gran Varon is the biography of a friend of his from adolescence to whom he dedicates the song.

El Gran Varon was the first song in Spanish that deals with the subject of HIV. However, the song has not only been considered a standard-bearer for LGBT rights, but also a sample of homophobic thinking that conceives homosexuality as a deviation from nature. In fact, at the time of its release it was banned from many radio stations.

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