Carlos Yahanny Valencia Ortiz, better known as Tostao, is a multi-platinum Latin music star, actor, and Colombian civil rights activist. As a member of the band ChocQuibTown, he created a unique fusion of global music and the special rhythms of the Colombian Pacific region. Along with the group, he won two Latin Grammy Awards, 2010 Best Alternative Song for De donde vengo yo , and 2015 Best Tropical Fusion Album for El mismo.
In his music and videos, he promotes a message of love and black empowerment. Throughout his career as an artist, Tostao has partnered with NGOs and various international and local organizations to create different initiatives that promote the talent of young people from Chocó and Colombia.
In 2023, he released singles such as No avanzan with Luis Eduardo, El abogado with Leysong, Buay Press, Dela King, and others. His latest album titled Exótico pa’ I mundo, Vol 1 was released in October 2023.
Tostao is an artist who delivers a live show full of flavor and energy, featuring songs from his vast repertoire, both with ChocQuibTown and as a solo artist, along with notable collaborations.
As he himself describes it, it’s “a show to eat and to go.”
Valencia Ortiz was an event speaker at the Dialogue
