Paulina Tamayo

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Tamayo and the second or maternal family name is Cevallos.
Paulina Tamayo
Tamayo in 2011
Background information
Born(1964-04-14)14 April 1964
Quito, Ecuador
Died21 October 2025(2025-10-21) (aged 61)
GenresPasillo
OccupationSinger
InstrumentVocals
AwardsMatilde Hidalgo Prize (2017)

Paulina de las Mercedes Tamayo Cevallos (14 April 1965 – 21 October 2025) was an Ecuadorian singer. She began performing during her childhood, winning a festival in Venezuela, and she composed several songs and albums. Her work included a diverse range of genres, several of which were from Ecuador.

Early life

Paulina de las Mercedes Tamayo was born on 14 April 1965 in Quito.[1] She was the daughter of Quito native Fausto Tamayo and Loja native María Luisa Cevallos Paladines,[2] who composed some of her early songs.[1] Her great-uncle was composer Víctor Valencia Nieto.[2] During her youth, Ecuadorian music was regularly heard in her home, especially that of the Dúo Benítez-Valencia and Fresia Saavedra, whom she credited as influences that shaped her childhood.[2] In 2023, she obtained a degree in Musical and Sound Arts from the University of the Hemispheres.[2]

Career

Tamayo began singing at the age of five, when she won the Rumichaca de Oro festival Tulcán, performing the pasillo song "Entrega final".[2] At the age of six, she joined the theater company of actor Ernesto Albán, with whom she worked for approximately fourteen years.[2] At the age of nine, she performed at the Ecuadorian Embassy in Lima, Peru; she later recalled receiving congratulations from Peruvian singer Chabuca Granda for her performance of the Víctor Nieto pasillo "Rebeldía".[3] She won the 1977 Latin American Youth Festival, held in Acarigua, Venezuela; Fabricio Salazar of El Diario said: "During her childhood and youth, she represented Ecuador on multiple international stages, always carrying with her the essence of national folklore."[4]

Tamayo's first album, Colección de Oro, which was followed by other releases on vinyl and CD.[2] Although she recorded 15 albums,[1] she often stated that she preferred direct contact with the public to a prolific discography.[2] Her work included Ecuadorian genres like pasillos, albazos, bomba, pasacalles, and sanjuanitos.[5] Her work also includes two songs dedicated to football teams: "Bi-Tri yo te canto" (2018), dedicated to C.D. El Nacional (of which she was a fan) and co-composed with her son Willie Tamayo,[6] and "Soy del Auquitas, guambrito" (2023), dedicated to S.D. Aucas.[2] In 2025, she recorded the pasillo "Sombras", a duet with Peruvian singer Eva Ayllón.[2]

Throughout her career, Tamayo performed outside the country and shared the stage with artists such as Roberto Carlos, Rocío Dúrcal, Lola Flores, Juan Gabriel, Julio Jaramillo, Los Panchos, and Los Visconti.[2] In April 2011, she held a celebratory concert at the Agora of the Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana in Quito.[7] In addition to South American countries, she performed in Mexico, Canada, and the United States.[8] She was also close to the Ecuadoran diaspora, including in Spain and the United States.[5] She won the 2017 Matilde Hidalgo Prize and the 2018 Carlota Jaramillo National Prize for Cultural Merit.[9]

Tamayo also appeared as a judge at the musical reality show Yo me llamo .[10] She also ventured in business, including a boutique and perfume.[11]

Death

Tamayo died on 21 October 2025 of respiratory failure at the age of 60.[12][13] Her wake was held at the National Theater of the Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana, and her funeral took place at the Basílica del Voto Nacional.[14] Her remains were cremated and interred in Monteolivo Norte Cemetery.[15]

References

  1. ^ a b c Watson, Shyla (22 October 2025). "Singer Paulina Tamayo, Known as 'The Great of Ecuador,' Dies at 60". People.com. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Así fue la carrera de Paulina Tamayo, 'la Grande del Ecuador' que se sentía bien recibida en todo el país". El Universo (in Spanish). 21 October 2025. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  3. ^ Hungría, Isabel (3 September 2020). "Paulina Tamayo: "Chabuca Granda fue una compositora inmejorable"". El Telegráfo (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  4. ^ Salazar, Fabricio (21 October 2025). "¿Quién era Paulina Tamayo? La vida y legado de 'La grande del Ecuador', la voz inmortal que llevó nuestra música al mundo". El Diario (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  5. ^ a b Cañizares, Ana María (21 October 2025). "Muere la cantante Paulina Tamayo, una de las voces más populares y célebres de Ecuador". CNN en Español (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 October 2025.
  6. ^ "Fallece Paulina Tamayo, la 'Grande del Ecuador', que era hincha y le cantó a El Nacional". Primicias (in Spanish). 21 October 2025. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  7. ^ "Paulina Tamayo y sus cuatro décadas de canto apasionado". El Universo (in Spanish). 8 April 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  8. ^ "¿Quién fue Paulina Tamayo 'La Grande del Ecuador'". El Comercio (in Spanish). 21 October 2025. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  9. ^ "Paulina Tamayo, embajadora del folclore y la música nacional, deja un legado imborrable". Ecuavisa (in Spanish). 21 October 2025. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  10. ^ "Paulina Tamayo, embajadora del folclore y la música nacional, deja un legado imborrable". www.ecuavisa.com (in Spanish). 21 October 2025. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  11. ^ Gawley, Paige (22 October 2025). "Renowned Singer, Known as The Great of Ecuador, Dead at 60". American Songwriter. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  12. ^ "Muere la cantante Paulina Tamayo, 'la Grande del Ecuador', a los 60 años". El Mundo (in Spanish). 21 October 2025. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  13. ^ Zambrano, Sandra (21 October 2025). "Dolor en la música nacional: La causa del fallecimiento de Paulina Tamayo". MetroEcuador. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  14. ^ Silva, Mario (23 October 2025). "Ecuador despide a la artista Paulina Tamayo en emotivo homenaje". TVC (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 November 2025.
  15. ^ "Paulina Tamayo descansa bajo un árbol: el lugar donde pueden visitarla en Quito". Diario (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 November 2025.
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