| Valentin Elizalde | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Valentin Elizalde Valencia |
| Born | February 1, 1979 Navojoa, Sonora, Mexico[1] |
| Died | November 25, 2006 (aged 27) Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico |
| Genres | Norteñas, Corridos, Banda |
| Occupations | Singer-Songwriter |
Valentín Elizalde Valencia (February 1, 1979 – November 25, 2006) was a Mexican banda music singer gunned down in an ambush. Known by the nickname "El Gallo de Oro" (The Golden Rooster), his biggest Banda hits included "Vete Ya," "Ebrio de Amor", " Vete Con Él", "Vuelve Cariñito", "Como Me Duele", "Vencedor", " Mi Virgencita", and "Soy Así".[2] Some of his songs were narcocorridos eulogizing Mexican drug lords like Vicente Carrillo Fuentes. He was allegedly murdered by a member of the drug trafficking gang, Los Zetas,[3][4] at the age of 27.
Contents |
Elizalde was born in the city of Navojoa, Sonora. He then moved to Guadalajara, Jalisco and later to Guasave, Sinaloa where he, his father (also a singer), Lalo Elizalde, nicknamed "El Gallo" (The Rooster), and brothers resided for a few years. His father died in a car accident on the so called "Curva de la muerte" (Curve of Death) in the city of Villa Juárez, Sonora. He had six children with his wife Camila Valencia: Jesus, Joel, Sergio, Valentin, Francisco and Lidia. In 2007, Elizalde was nominated posthumously for the Grammy Awards.
On November 25, 2006, Elizalde’s vehicle was gunned down; killing him, his chauffer and his assistant shortly after leaving a concert in Reynosa, Tamaulipas.[5] It is widely believed that Elizalde was killed due to his concert performance of “A Mis Enemigos”, which contains lyrics believed to antagonize drug trafficking gang Los Zetas.[6] Raul Hernández Barrón, alleged murderer of Elizalde and member of Los Zetas, was arrested in March 22, 2008, in Coatzintla, Veracruz.[4]