Jesús Hernández, born in 1957, has been passionate about vallenato since he was a child in the Department of La Guajira, in northeastern coastal Colombia on the border with Venezuela. He first played caja (small drum) but eventually took up the accordion. He recalls that, after school, he would practice the accordion into the night, oblivious to mother’s calls for supper. His career began as lead singer in his father’s band; by 1975 he was the accordionist.

Jesús Hernández formed his own band, La Típica Vallenata, in 1981 in New York, soon after arriving there to study. They recorded an album titled El Corsario Vallenato. Influenced by New York’s multiethnic soundscape and with an eye to the commercial market, Hernández joined Cuban musician Roberto Torres to develop a charanga-vallenato, a Cuban-Colombian fusion group. The group performed live weekly, cut two albums with great success, and toured Spain and Latin America.

When Hernández moved to Miami, he reconstituted his band, a seven-piece ensemble that is rooted in vallenato but also plays other genres of music. They recently released a CD, titled Miami, which features Hernández’s own compositions, mainly vallenatos and cumbias.

Jesús Hernández on accordion.
Photograph by Nathalia Franco.

Listen
Jesús Hernández y su Típica Vallenata.
“Vallenato.”
Composed by M. Jesús Hernández.
From Jesús Hernández y su Típica Vallenata, Miami. RYCY Inc.
Used by permission of Jesús Hernández.

On the Hohner accordion, harmonic accompaniment is produced by buttons.
Photograph by Nathalia Franco.

Listen
Jesús Hernández y su Típica Vallenata.
“Miami” (cumbia).
Composed by M. Jesús Hernández.
From Jesús Hernández y su Típica Vallenata, Miami. RYCY Inc.
Used by permission of Jesús Hernández.

Miguel García Romero on caja.
Photograph by Nathalia Franco.

Jesús Hernández y su Tipica Vallenta at the Historical Museum of Southern Florida's Harvest Festival 2002.