Poet. Prolific, gentle, and deeply sensitive creator. Musician of the heart.
Medicine man. Guardian and musician of sacred ceremony space.
My name is José Fredy Velásquez Figueroa and I was born on November 20, 1970, in Mallama near the Putumayo rainforest (Colombia). I was called to heal people through music and sacred plants. I traveled, studied, accompanied, and shared medicine with grandfathers, masters, and Taitas from different Colombian indigenous communities: Awá, Siona, Kamëntsá (Taita Angel Chindoy), Cofán, Inga, Huitoto, Yanacona (Taita Gerardo Silva) and Muisca.
I always saw myself as a simple accompanist, with my singing and my guitar, and I always felt happy like this. I accompanied Taitas and still accompany them from the heart. From them, I have assimilated with great respect and love their practices and knowledge.
Since 2002 I have spent my life bringing the medicine and songs of my land to thousands of people around the world with the memory, company, and legacy of all of those grandfathers. What I share is the assimilation of what I have lived in these medicine experiences. It's something that sinks in, for me. And it's different than learning it by your will.
I am the former lead vocalist of the most famous folk group in Putumayo. Grupo Putumayo is a formation founded in 1985 by the Palchucán brothers (William and Jairo) originally from the Sibundoy Valley in Putumayo and members of the Pastos indigenous community. The intention of the project is to remember and strengthen the indigenous heritage of the Pastos, Inga, and Kamëntsá peoples as well as promote a message of nature conservation through music.
I have also been a vocalist for the groups Umbral (with Diego Mora, a former member of Grupo Putumayo) and MAMBE (with Ben Harris) and have participated in an album by Arkawa (Ayahuasca, 2016) as well as Giselle World (Tribu, 2018). I am currently following the solo career that I started in 2006 (Latinoamericando).
I have been called the voice of South America. In the ceremonies, I combine the ancient sacred Ayahuasca with my voice which allows us to go even deeper into the process of self-exploration. I share the medicine with the total certainty that a better future will come for humanity thanks to sacred plants. In the future, we will meet again with Mother Earth.
