Cumbia Legend Celso Piña Dies At 66

It is a sad day for Mexican music, as we bid farewell to the cumbia legend Celso Piña, who died in Monterrey.

Tuna Récords has confirmed the sad news of the unexpected departing of the great Celso Piña, also known as “el Rebelde del Acordeón,” earlier today. According to their statement, Piña had a heart attack and was taken to a hospital, where he passed at 12:38 pm.

Born in Monterrey, Mexico, Celso Piña is known as the pioneer of the Mexican fusion genre. As one of the first to mix tropical sounds with modern beats, he revolutionized music forever, making him one of the most sought-after musicians to work with.

Norteño, sonidero, ska, reggae, and hip hop are some of the sounds that Piña mixed with his Colombian cumbia beats, all with his mastery of the accordion, a popular instrument in Northern Mexico.

As a self-taught musician, Piña learned how to play the accordion as he saw fit, and ended up creating a unique style and sound that many would try to imitate later on. A true legend since the eighties, Celso Piña collaborated with great musicians such as Natalia Lafourcade, Lila Downs, Café Tacvba, Control Machete, Bronco, Ely Guerra, and many others.

As he told the world in his last tweet “no hay quien se resista a la cumbia” (“no one can resist cumbia”), and we should add, there’s nobody out there who can resist the great Celso’s songs. He will be dearly missed.

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