# Escalona (1991)

> A chronicle of how Rafael Escalona, with no formal music training, rose to become Colombia's king of vallenato music.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/82823

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 33
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama, music
- Created by: Bernardo Romero Pereiro
- Network: Canal Uno
- Cast: Carlos Vives, Florina Lemaitre, Rodrigo Obregón, Juan Carlos Arango, Nelly Moreno, Alejandra Borrero, María Fernanda Martínez
- TMDB rating: 7.9/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0238780/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: warm, nostalgic, gentle, joyful, observational

## What critics say

Audiences broadly rate the series positively, valuing its warm portrayal of Rafael Escalona's rise and the vallenato music at its heart.

## Synopsis

Escalona (1991) is a Colombian biographical music drama series created by Bernardo Romero Pereiro for Canal Uno, produced by Caracol Televisión. Carlos Vives stars as Rafael Escalona, the real-life musician who had no formal music education yet became the king of vallenato, Colombia's beloved accordion-driven folk tradition. Florina Lemaitre plays Matilde Manjarrés, known as Maye, and Rodrigo Obregón plays Anastasio Espuelas, two of the people closest to him, while Juan Carlos Arango and Nelly Moreno fill out the circle of friends and family around his daily life. Rather than building toward a single climactic event, the thirty-three episodes of this one season move through ordinary days: the songwriting sessions, the small-town gatherings, the friendships and rivalries that shape a working musician's life on Colombia's Caribbean coast. The engine is simple and human, a young man's determination to be taken seriously by a music world that has no reason to trust him. The tone is warm, observational and affectionate, with the rhythm of the accordion and the easy pace of coastal life running through every scene. Fans of Walk the Line and Selena will find resonance in its portrait of a musician rooted in local culture. It is a gentle, music-filled look at a national figure through the textures of everyday life.

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