Nidia Góngora Bonilla, born in 1981 in TimbiquÃ, Cauca, is a powerful voice in preserving Afro-Colombian Pacific Coast culture, first gaining recognition as lead singer of Canalón de TimbiquÃ, with whom she released albums like De Mar y RÃoâthe first Pacific folk album nominated for a Latin Grammy in 2019. Launching her solo career with Quantic in 2017 on Curao, she seamlessly fused marimba-rich currulao and jungle percussion with electronica, followed by Almas Conectadas (2021), La Ãapa with Etienne Sevet (2022), and her landmark solo debut PacÃfico Maravilla (April 2025), a tribute to memory, ancestral resilience, and Caliâs vibrational spirit. Alongside her prolific musical output, Nidia Góngora is a dedicated cultural advocateâfounding Fundación Escuela Canalón in 2013 to mentor dozens of young Pacific artists, earning national honors in 2024 for her educational impact, and touring globally through performances at Petronio Ãlvarez, WOMEX, and Los Angelesâs Lodge Roomâmarking her as both a cultural leader and global ambassador for Colombian folklore.
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