"El Preso" | |
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Single by Fruko y sus Tesos | |
Released | 1975 |
Genre | Salsa |
Songwriter(s) | Álvaro Velásquez |
"El Preso" (translation "the prisoner") is a song recorded by Fruko y sus Tesos. It was released in 1975 with vocals by Wilson Saoko. [1] The song was composed by the band's percussionist Álvaro Velásquez. [2] [3]
The lyrics are the narration of a prisoner ("preso") serving 30 years. [4] The actual inspiration for songwriter Velásquez was a friend's letter describing another friend's pain being jailed for 30 years on a drug charge. [5] In an interview, Julio Ernesto Estrada (aka Fruko) said it "became a world anthem of salsa music". [5]
Radio Nacional de Colombia also called the song a "universal hymn of salsa." [6]
The song has also been recognized as one of the greatest Colombian songs of all time by multiple media sources: