He was fired as he would have liked: with cumbia. What did Paco Silva, leader of La Tropa Colombiana, die of? His death took all his loved ones by surprise, according to the testimony of his representative, Adrián García, who explained to local media that the cause was a fulminating heart attack. The musician was in Nuevo Laredo with his wife, buying juices and waters for an event to benefit children with autism—scheduled for Tuesday, April 14—his manager explained to Reforma: “He started to feel unwell and they took him to the hospital and he was put in a wheelchair, but it got complicated”. García added to Telediario that before that moment everything seemed normal, “he was even sending me messages on WhatsApp, checking pending tasks (...) suddenly his wife calls me to tell me that Paco was very delicate, they immediately took him to the hospital, but there was no time for anything”. The representative also commented that in the hospital they detected he had water in his lungs and other complications: “They could no longer do anything. Paco Silva, founder of La Tropa Colombiana and a legend of cumbia, died in the early hours of this Sunday in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas. “With deep pain and great sadness we inform you that today at approximately 1:00 in the morning in the city of Nuevo Laredo our leader and founder passed away… He leaves us a great legacy in music and a great school, good journey Paco and one day we will meet again,” the cumbia band confirmed in a statement published on Facebook. The wake for the musician is being held in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas and this afternoon he will be transferred to Monterrey, Nuevo León, his hometown. Originally from Monterrey, Nuevo León, he grew up in the Independencia neighborhood, an area historically linked to the development of the genre in the region. In 1984 he founded La Tropa Colombiana, a musical project that over time became one of the main exponents of cumbia in Monterrey and other cities in the country. His career spanned more than four decades, with constant activity both on stage and in recordings. Among the songs that marked his trajectory are ’20 años’, ‘Se baila así’ and ‘El Gallo Moro’. It was something completely fulminating”. Likewise, he ruled out that there was any relationship with a previous ailment: “No, it has nothing to do with the neuropathy he had. This was a completely different heart attack, something unexpected”. Who was Paco Silva, founder of La Tropa Colombiana? Francisco Javier Silva Torres, known as Paco Silva, was a reference in Colombian music in the north of the country. In particular, his version of ‘Los caminos de la vida’, released in 1993 as an adaptation of the original theme by Los Diablitos, became one of the greatest successes of his repertoire. He also managed to position songs like ‘Las Chiquillas’ (1988) and ‘Tina’ (1989), which were integrated into the public's taste in Monterrey and contributed to consolidating the group's sound. In addition, he was part of key projects on the Colombian music scene in Mexico, including his collaboration with Celso Piña in La Ronda Bogotá, which strengthened his presence within the Monterrey musical movement. The musician himself emphasized the genre's relevance at an event last year: “Colombian music will go on for centuries”. Until days before his death, Paco Silva remained professionally active. He is survived by his wife, Laura Reyna, and four children. He had a musical collaboration scheduled with El Gran Silencio, as well as an event to benefit children with autism. The singer was 61 years old.
