José David Carvajal Rodríguez
- Composer
José David Carvajal, born in Santiago de Cali in 1993, is a talented musician whose interest in artistic expressions manifested at an early age. He actively participated in various theater groups, drawing, music band, and choir at school, thus nurturing the seed of art and receiving several recognitions. In 2002, at just 9 years old, he began his musical training at the Fundación Solidaridad por Colombia. Under the pedagogy of distinguished teachers such as Gladys López Donado and the technical methodology of maestro Alfonso Valdiri (R.I.P), he easily developed skills in popular guitar, classical guitar, recorder, and musical grammar.
Continuing his education, he moved to the east of the city to study at the Escuela de Música de Desepaz, a highly recognized institution that fosters social transformation through art, founded by Dr. Amparo Sinisterra de Carvajal and the entity for the arts Proartes. Here, he began studying the cello with the outstanding cellist Luisa Viet Fuentes, a member of the Cali Philharmonic.
With the Desepaz music school, José David Carvajal performed in more than 500 concerts locally and regionally. In 2012, he joined the Valle Youth Symphony Orchestra and participated in its first tour of Europe, visiting more than three countries and collaborating with internationally renowned musicians.
In 2013, he entered the University of Fine Arts in Cali to study a technical degree in music. By the end of 2014, he founded his musical project called "Son 21", gaining recognition in competitions and festivals such as first place in the Metropolis Talent Contest (2016), first place in the Timba Fest Festival (2017), and second place in the Cali World Salsa Festival (2017), among others.
In 2018, he created his independent label as a music producer called Joca Music, where he has developed musical productions for different artists. Especially, he has focused on music for films, participating in productions such as; the documentary "Zapata el Putas" (2020) which won 2 India Catalina Awards, following in line he created the music for the documentary "Nereo", "El viaje de la Marimba", "Amenaza Verde", "El fogón", "Inolvidable", among others.
In 2022, he became a teacher at the Desepaz School, where he had grown musically. He supported the music nurseries through a creative laboratory and participated in the Ajazzgo Jazz Festival 2022, showcasing the proposals of the school. In November 2023, he performed his first symphonic titled "From North to South", a tribute to the main composers of the country's folk music, with the participation of the Desepaz Youth Symphony Orchestra and alumni of the school. José David Carvajal is finishing a bachelor's degree in artistic education and working on the creation of his first salsa album titled "Mis Raíces", in homage to his family and a musical career of more than 20 years. He is participating in the 2024 edition of incentives to make this dream come true.
Continuing his education, he moved to the east of the city to study at the Escuela de Música de Desepaz, a highly recognized institution that fosters social transformation through art, founded by Dr. Amparo Sinisterra de Carvajal and the entity for the arts Proartes. Here, he began studying the cello with the outstanding cellist Luisa Viet Fuentes, a member of the Cali Philharmonic.
With the Desepaz music school, José David Carvajal performed in more than 500 concerts locally and regionally. In 2012, he joined the Valle Youth Symphony Orchestra and participated in its first tour of Europe, visiting more than three countries and collaborating with internationally renowned musicians.
In 2013, he entered the University of Fine Arts in Cali to study a technical degree in music. By the end of 2014, he founded his musical project called "Son 21", gaining recognition in competitions and festivals such as first place in the Metropolis Talent Contest (2016), first place in the Timba Fest Festival (2017), and second place in the Cali World Salsa Festival (2017), among others.
In 2018, he created his independent label as a music producer called Joca Music, where he has developed musical productions for different artists. Especially, he has focused on music for films, participating in productions such as; the documentary "Zapata el Putas" (2020) which won 2 India Catalina Awards, following in line he created the music for the documentary "Nereo", "El viaje de la Marimba", "Amenaza Verde", "El fogón", "Inolvidable", among others.
In 2022, he became a teacher at the Desepaz School, where he had grown musically. He supported the music nurseries through a creative laboratory and participated in the Ajazzgo Jazz Festival 2022, showcasing the proposals of the school. In November 2023, he performed his first symphonic titled "From North to South", a tribute to the main composers of the country's folk music, with the participation of the Desepaz Youth Symphony Orchestra and alumni of the school. José David Carvajal is finishing a bachelor's degree in artistic education and working on the creation of his first salsa album titled "Mis Raíces", in homage to his family and a musical career of more than 20 years. He is participating in the 2024 edition of incentives to make this dream come true.







