{{Short description|Colombian musician and songwriter}} {{family name hatnote|Ochoa|Campo|lang=Spanish}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Calixto Ochoa | birth_name = Calixto Antonio Ochoa Campo | alias = | image = | caption = | landscape = | background = person | birth_date = {{birth date|1934|08|14|df=y}} | birth_place = Valencia de Jesús, Colombia | death_date = {{death date and age|2015|11|18|1934|08|14|df=y}} | death_place = Sincelejo, Colombia | genre = vallenato | years_active = | label = | spouse = Dulzaide Bermúdez{{r|espectador-2015a}} }}

'''Calixto Antonio Ochoa Campo''' (1934–2015) was a Colombian accordionist and songwriter. He won the accordionist competition of the Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata in 1970, was a member of Los Corraleros de Majagual, and composed over 120 songs that were recorded by artists including Diomedes Díaz and Wilfrido Vargas.

==Biography== Calixto Ochoa was born on 14 August 1934 in Valencia de Jesús, in the Colombian department of Cesar (but at that time still in Magdalena).{{r|colombiano-2015}}

As a child Ochoa watched his brothers Juan and Rafael play accordion at vallenato {{lang|es|parrandas}}.{{r|pais-2015}} After buying his own accordion, he learned to play the songs of Luis Enrique Martínez.{{r|espectador-2015a}} Ochoa moved to Sincelejo, and at the age of 21 recorded his first song, "El Lirio Rojo", which attracted the attention of Antonio Fuentes, owner of Discos Fuentes.{{r|espectador-2015a|pais-2015}} In 1962, when Ochoa was at "the height of his fame", he joined Los Corraleros de Majagual at the invitation of Fuentes, with whom he toured several countries in the Americas.{{r|heraldo-2020|colombiano-2015}}

Ochoa won the accordionist competition at the third Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata in 1970. In 2005 the Festival gave him the title "King for life" (Spanish: {{lang|es|Rey vitalicio}}), alongside Rafael Escalona, Emiliano Zuleta, Leandro Díaz, and Adolfo Pacheco.{{r|pais-2015}}

Ochoa died on 18 November 2015 in Sincelejo.{{r|pais-2015}} His body was displayed at the Iglesia La Concepción in Valledupar, and then moved to his birthplace Valencia de Jesús on 20 November, where he was buried.{{r|espectador-2015b}}

==Musical style and compositions== Ochoa was a prolific songwriter in the Colombian genre of vallenato. His notable compositions include "Los Sabanales", "Diana", "El Calabacito", "El Mosquito", "El Africano", and "Playas Marinas".{{r|colombiano-2015}} In total he wrote over 120 songs.{{r|mc}}

Ochoa was the favourite songwriter of Diomedes Díaz, who recorded more than 30 of his compositions, including "La Plata" and "Los Sabanales".{{r|heraldo-2020}} His song "El Africano" was made popular by Wilfrido Vargas and recorded by La Sonora Dinamita, Fruko y sus Tesos, Ray Conniff and Georgie Dann.{{r|pais-2015}}

==References== <references>

<ref name=mc>{{cite book |title=Cultores de la Música Colombiana |publisher=Editorial Ariana |year=1980 |oclc=253182806 |language=es |chapter=Ochoa Calixto |author=José I. Pinilla Aguilar |pages=315–316}}</ref>

<ref name=espectador-2015a>{{citation |url=https://www.elespectador.com/entretenimiento/gente/calixto-ochoa-el-retratista-de-aquellos-sabanales/ |title=Calixto Ochoa, el retratista de aquellos sabanales |language=es |work=El Espectador |author=Juan Carlos Piedrahíta B. |date=2015-11-19 |access-date=2025-04-20}}</ref>

<ref name=espectador-2015b>{{citation |url=https://www.elespectador.com/entretenimiento/gente/calixto-ochoa-es-despedido-en-valledupar/ |title=Calixto Ochoa es despedido en Valledupar |language=es |work=El Espectador |date=2015-11-19 |access-date=2025-04-19}}</ref>

<ref name=pais-2015>{{citation |url=https://elpais.com/cultura/2015/12/02/actualidad/1449092699_655496.html |title=Calixto Ochoa, rey de la música vallenata |language=es |work=El País |author=Carlos Galilea |date=2015-12-02 |access-date=2025-04-19}}</ref>

<ref name=heraldo-2020>{{citation |url=https://www.elheraldo.co/sociedad/2020/11/18/cinco-anos-sin-calixto-ochoa-un-picaro-juglar/ |title=Cinco años sin Calixto Ochoa, un pícaro juglar |language=es |work=El Heraldo |author=Jhonatan Diaz |date=2020-11-18 |access-date=2025-04-19}}</ref>

<ref name=colombiano-2015>{{citation |url=https://www.elcolombiano.com/cultura/musica/fallecio-el-cantautor-vallenato-calixto-ochoa-AD3140200 |title=Falleció el cantautor vallenato Calixto Ochoa |language=es |work=El Colombiano |author=Vanesa Restrepo |date=2015-11-18 |access-date=2025-04-19}}</ref>

</references>

==External links== *{{discogs artist|artist=1070959-Calixto-Ochoa|name=Calixto Ochoa}}

{{Vallenato Legend Festival}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ochoa, Calixto}} Category:1934 births Category:2015 deaths Category:Colombian accordionists Category:Vallenato musicians Category:Colombian songwriters Category:People from Cesar Department