Los Palmeras are in mourning. This Friday, the death of Ricardo “Oveja” Stec was announced, a musician who was part of one of the most emblematic bands of cumbia from Santa Fe for several years and left his mark during an important stage of its extensive history.
The news was confirmed by the group itself through its official Instagram account. There, they shared a video with archival footage of Stec and dedicated heartfelt words to bid farewell to someone they defined as one of their “historical members”.
Stec was part of Los Palmeras from 1988 to 1992, a period during which he accompanied the group in the midst of consolidating a musical path that, over the decades, would turn the Santa Fe ensemble into one of the leading references of Argentine cumbia.
Los Palmeras bid farewell to their castmate
So far, the band has not publicly disclosed the causes of his death.
The painful message from Los Palmeras after the death of Ricardo “Oveja” Stec
The confirmation came accompanied by a tribute filled with affection. Instead of merely communicating the news, Los Palmeras chose to remember the years shared with Stec and thank him for his musical contribution.
“Today we have to say goodbye to another of our historical members,” they wrote from the band's official account.
They then expressed their gratitude for the journey they shared: “Thank you for so many shared moments and for all your music.”
The post by Los Palmeras
The message concluded with a particularly emotional farewell: “May you rest in peace, dear friend Ricardo ‘Oveja’ Stec. Your friends Los Palmeras greet you today and always.”
Who was Ricardo “Oveja” Stec and his time with Los Palmeras
Ricardo “Oveja” Stec was a percussionist and tumbadorist for Los Palmeras from 1988 to 1992, thus he was responsible for one of the fundamental instruments to build the characteristic rhythm of cumbia from Santa Fe. During those years, he shared the lineup with historical figures such as Rubén “Cacho” Deicas, Marcos Camino, and José María Roa.
His arrival at the group coincided with a period of intense discographic production and growth of Los Palmeras. His work with the tumbadoras was recorded in several albums released during that period, including Loquito por ti (1988), Sus amigos (1989), Rumor de cumbia (1990), Chiquita pero buena (1990), and Boquita azucarada (1991).
In 1992, the last year of Stec with the group, Los Palmeras also celebrated their 20 years of trajectory, making the musician part of an important stage in the consolidation of the ensemble within Argentine tropical music.
