Nidia Góngora is the most recognized singer from the Colombian Pacific
coast, winner of the Shock Award and nominated for the Latin Grammy for Best
Folk Album in 2019.
She holds a degree in Early Childhood Education, and is a singer and
researcher of traditional music from the Southern Colombian Pacific. Throughout
her more than 20 years of experience as a composer and performer, Professor
Góngora has successfully built bridges between the traditional music of her native
Timbiquí (Cauca) and other world music genres.
She is the great bearer of the innate tradition inherited from her elders, her
mother, matron Libia Oliva Bonilla, her teacher Elizabeth Sinisterra, her father
Isaac Góngora, and the leading singers of her community.Director, founder, and
lead vocalist of the musical group Canalón de Timbiquí, who have won numerous
times at the Pacific Music Festival “Petronio Álvarez”, receiving awards such as
“Best Vocal Performance”, “Best Vocal Arrangement”, and “Best Marimba
Ensemble”. She has immortalized her voice in Colombian Pacific anthems like
“Quítate de mí Escalera” and “Molino mi Molinete”. Nidia, also known as “The
Guardian of Tradition” , has collaborated with various groups and musical projects
such as Ale Kuma, Grupo Bahía, Herencia de Timbiquí, Dizzy Mandjeku, Pacífico
Sinfónico, Ondatrópica, The Bongo Hop, Búho, Montoya, Bomba Estéreo,
Malecón, Orishas, La Pacifican Power, British producer Quantic, among others.
This versatility has allowed her to position herself as a reference among
traditional musician communities and the broader Afro-Latin region, while also
gaining recognition on multiple international stages in Europe, Asia, and the
United States where she has brought her singing. For the past 12 years, she has
been conducting ongoing musical training with children in both school and
community settings in rural and urban areas of Cauca and Valle del Cauca
through the Fundación Escuela Canalón, a project that preserves and promotes
the cultural identity values of the region.
Nidia Góngora is also a businesswoman and activist, regarded as one of
the most important female leaders and entrepreneurs in the country thanks to her
creativity through projects such as “Viche Positivo” , her renowned brand of
traditional Pacific beverages, her guest house “La Bella Sofía” in Timbiquí, and
her festival “Arrullo en el Barrio”.
Master Nidia develops other community social projects in different
neighborhoods of Eastern Cali with community kitchens and markets, involving
various families from the area. The main beneficiaries are children, as in addition
to meal preparation, cultural activities such as singing and dancing are organized,
and gifts are distributed during Christmas festivities. She has been featured in
and on the cover of popular magazines such as Dinero, Arcadia, El Espectador,
The Guardian, and The New York Times.
Nidia Góngora has taken her music to all five continents, participating in
prestigious festivals such as Glastonbury (UK), Roskilde (Denmark), Vive Latino
(Mexico), and Estéreo Picnic Festival (Colombia). She has also toured
extensively in Europe, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, and other countries.
