Colombian musician Carlos Vives has released the official music video for Sombra Perdida, a collaborative single featuring Spanish singer Niña Pastori, recorded across locations in Colombia and Spain.
The song is featured on Vives's latest studio production, El Último Disco, Vol. 1, which has earned a nomination for the 2026 Latin Grammy Awards in the Best Cumbia/Vallenato Album category.
Sombra Perdida was originally written by Rita Fernández Padilla, an artist from Santa Marta who stands as one of the fundamental voices in the history of vallenato music. The song is a popular classic that explores the theme of unrequited love and the enduring imprint left by romantic relationships that fade into memory over time.
Padilla gained national recognition as a pioneering female songwriter and accordionist in vallenato, a folk music tradition originating from Colombia's northern Caribbean region. Vallenato, which relies heavily on the accordion, caja drum, and guacharaca scraper, was designated by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.
Cross-Border Collaboration and Production
In this new version of the classic composition, Vives transforms the song into a musical meeting between Colombia and Spain. The arrangement combines lead vocals from Pastori with accordion performances by Colombian master Israel Romero, flamenco guitars played by Josemi Carmona, and music production by Andrés Leal.
Pastori is a multi-Latin Grammy Award winning artist from Andalusia, Spain, known for blending traditional flamenco singing with modern pop arrangements. Romero is widely regarded as one of Colombia's premier accordion virtuosos and a founding member of the influential vallenato group El Binomio de Oro de América, while Carmona is an acclaimed Spanish guitarist renowned for his contributions to flamenco fusion.
The official music video was produced by Mestiza Films under the direction of Sergio I. Rodríguez and Felipe Montoya. The visual project compiles footage captured across various stages of the collaboration, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process behind the song.
Filming in Seville and Santa Marta
Key segments of the video document the studio recording sessions in Seville, Spain, where Vives and Pastori met to record their joint vocals. Seville, the capital of Spain's southern Andalusia region, is historic as a global center for flamenco music and culture.
These studio scenes are interwoven with footage from Pastori's trip to Santa Marta, Colombia, where she joined Vives during a public serenade celebrating the 500th anniversary of the city's founding. Santa Marta, located on the Caribbean coast, was established in 1525 and is recognized as the oldest surviving city in Colombia.
Additional video footage captures Romero recording his accordion tracks inside La Torre de Lata, the recording studio complex owned by Vives. The directors structured the project as an audiovisual journey demonstrating how a song can connect different territories, generations, and musical traditions.
Roots Music and Album Recognition
With Sombra Perdida, Vives continues to expand his artistic commitment to returning to the core essence of songcraft and creating music intended for personal dedication, while presenting traditional Colombian roots from a modern perspective.
El Último Disco, Vol. 1 was highlighted by music publication Rolling Stone en Español as one of the top albums of the year. The recording is part of a larger project by Vives that also features guest collaborations with other prominent international figures, including Dominican singer and composer Juan Luis Guerra and American salsa producer Sergio George.
The Latin Grammy Awards, organized annually by the Latin Recording Academy, honor outstanding creative achievements in Spanish and Portuguese language music. The ceremony for the 2026 edition will recognize top releases across specialized genres, including the cumbia and vallenato categories.
