Colombian music legend Silvestre Dangond plays two shows in Orlando this week

Before capturing the crown as the king of vallenato (a popular style of Colombian folk music), singer Silvestre Dangond spent a lifetime honing his musical craft.

Born into a musical family, Dangond was signed to Sony and recording his first album, Tanto Para Ti, barely out of high school. Dangond teamed with Juancho De La Espriella for 2005’s Ponte a la Moda, a hit with Latin music fans worldwide. After the duo went their separate ways, Dangond’s 2014 solo effort, Sigo Invicto, cemented him as a star on his own and earned him five Grammy noms. Dangond found a newer, younger audience through collaborations with big reggaeton names like Nicky Jam and Maluma in the late 2010s.

But despite these crossovers, Dangond is steadfast in his love of the vallenato sound. As if to drive the point home, Dangond’s latest single, “Un Motivo Especial,” is an affectionate reworking of an old vallenato number by Dangond’s mentor, Diomedes Diaz. Dangond starts his headlining U.S. tour right here in Orlando, with a second show added due to demand.