Marcos Camino, Los Palmeras founder, dies at 76 in Santa Fe

By Tom Whitfield

Marcos Camino, the accordionist who founded Los Palmeras in Santa Fe in 1972, died on November 10 at age 76. The account gives no year for his death and includes no direct comments from Camino, his family or the band.

The report’s chronology needs caution. It separately dates Camino’s retirement announcement to February 2026 and the first medley under his son to March, without reconciling those dates with the November 10 death notice.

According to the obituary, Camino’s accordion became a sound of celebration at dance halls, weddings, football stadiums and family parties. It presents Los Palmeras as one of Argentina’s most beloved cumbia bands and describes their founder as a central figure in the genre’s popular history.

Camino founded Los Palmeras in his hometown of Santa Fe in 1972. By the late 1970s, the band had begun building a national audience. Their debut album, Volumen 1, appeared in 1976, followed by Te regalaré mi vida.

Singer Rubén Deicas joined in 1978. He first appeared on Morenita cumbiambera and the band’s fourth album, Basta de orgullo, both released that year. With Camino’s accordion at the center of their sound, Los Palmeras developed a strong following on the bailanta dance-hall circuit.

Their recorded catalogue included:

• Saboreando cumbias
• Cumbia y luna
• Quiero un pueblo que baile
• Fiesta en la selva
• Loquito por ti
• Boquita azucarada
• El rey de la parranda

Across the decades, Los Palmeras recorded “Olvídala,” “Doble Vida,” “Títere” and “Soy Sabalero.” The last became an anthem for supporters of Santa Fe’s Club Atlético Colón.

Their 2006 album El bombón asesino produced “El Bombón Asesino.” The obituary calls it their most iconic hit and says the song crossed generations before becoming a staple at parties across Latin America. The source includes no explanation of how that international reach was measured.

Los Palmeras marked their milestones with anniversary albums titled 20 Años, 30 Años and 40 Años. Their catalogue eventually grew to more than 45 albums.

The band’s awards included:

• The Clave del Sol Award for Best Group from the Interior of the Country in 1999 and 2000.
• The Gardel Award for Best Tropical Group Album in 2008 and 2017.
• A Platinum Konex Award in the Tropical and Cuarteto category in 2015, recognizing the group among the most important artists in the genre’s history.

In February 2026, the account says, Camino announced his retirement after more than 50 years with Los Palmeras and handed leadership to his son, Marcos Camino Jr. The new lineup began in March with a medley featuring new vocalist Lucas Delfrate alongside Pablo López.

What changes for Los Palmeras?

The practical change is specific: Marcos Camino Jr. now leads the group his father founded, while Lucas Delfante appears as a new vocalist and Pablo López joined him in the first announced medley. The source identifies no new album, concert schedule or wider personnel changes.

That limited information matters. A leadership handover and one medley do not establish how the band’s sound or audience will develop. Nor does the account say how closely Delfante and López will follow the arrangements, performance patterns or audience relationships associated with Camino’s long tenure.

More than 45 albums, “El Bombón Asesino” and awards from 1999 to 2017 give the new leadership a substantial body of work; listeners will judge whether its 2026 lineup can preserve that reach.