Pastor Lopez (aka El Indio Lopez) is an iconic Venezuelan singer/songwriter and musician beloved across the South American continent for his knowledge of tropical music including cumbia, vallenato, paseaíto, porro, and his sweet tenor singing voice.nn He lives in Colombia, but was born in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. Lopez began singing almost as soon as he could talk; he made his first (non-commercial) recording at the age of five. Throughout childhood and adolescence, he alternated between singing and studying. In the mid-'60s, Lopez began working and recording in Venezuela with his brothers in a joropo band called Conjunto de los Hermanos López before leaving to work with Aníbal Velásquez, Los Mayorales, and Emir Boscán & los Tomasinos. With the latter he scored a pair of big hits: "Caimito" and "El Paloma." In 1971 he joined the combo of his compatriot Nelson Henríquez, who were, at the time, wildly popular in Colombia. Between 1971 and 1973 they recorded a slew of hits that have become classics and are still referenced and covered in the 21st century; these include "La Arañita," "La Ha Maca Raya," "El Fiestón," "Bagpipe of Venezuela," "Playa Blanca," and "Playa Colorá." In 1973, Lopez left to start his own band, Pastor López y Su Combo, which began a decades-long period filled with hit records -- his catalog numbers over 50 albums -- and sold-out performances in many countries. Interestingly, his band has utilized the same instrumentation since its inception: Two trumpets, piano, bass, congas (timbales), and vocals. Many all-star musicians have passed through his group since the mid-'70s in both Colombia and Venezuela.nnLopez is internationally recognized in countries such as the United States, Canada, Spain, England, Mexico, and virtually anywhere in the world where there are Colombian and Latin American communities. His most important albums include Pastor López y Su Combo (1974), El Negro Parrandero (1977), Con Toda la Fuerza (1985), Con Calor Tropical (1990), El Indio (1993), and 2007's Vuelve con Mucho Más. While he records infrequently, his abundant catalog has netted many fine compilations covering a range of tropical music genres. ~ Thom Jurek