Náfer Durán, the Colombian accordionist and songwriter who was crowned rey vallenato in 1976, died on September 29, 2026, at the age of 93. His passing marks the end of an era for a genre that he helped shape in its early days. Born Náfer Santiago Durán Díaz in El Paso, Colombia, on December 26, 1932, Durán’s influence on vallenato stretched across decades.
He gained national recognition after winning the accordionist competition at the Vallenato Legend Festival that year. The victory propelled him into the spotlight as one of the genre’s notable figures.