"El Preso" ("the prisoner") is a song recorded by Fruko y sus Tesos. It was released in 1975 with vocals by Wilson Saoko. The song was composed by the band's percussionist Álvaro Velásquez.
The lyrics are the narration of a prisoner serving 30 years. The actual inspiration for songwriter Velásquez was a friend's letter describing another friend's pain being jailed for 30 years on a drug charge. In an interview, Julio Ernesto Estrada (aka Fruko) said it "became a world anthem of salsa music".
Radio Nacional de Colombia also called the song a "universal hymn of salsa."
The song has also been recognised as one of the greatest Colombian songs of all time.
3 окт 2024