{
  "id": 1968293,
  "title": "José Luis ‘Pucho’ Ponce, Bassist of Argentine Folk Group Los Tekis, Dead at 68",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/jose-luis-pucho-ponce-bassist-of-argentine-folk-group-los-tekis-dead",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-19T16:12:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Billboard",
    "slug": "billboard",
    "url": "https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/pucho-ponce-death-los-tekis-bassist-dead-obituary-1236319944/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "José Luis \"Pucho\" Ponce, the bassist of Argentine folk group Los Tekis, passed away early Wednesday morning at the age of 68, according to the band's announcement on social media. His bandmates mourned his loss with heartfelt messages, expressing their inability to comprehend the sudden emptiness they feel. The band reminisced about Ponce's kindness, warmth, and shared experiences over their three decades together. Born in Villa María, Córdoba, Ponce joined Los Tekis in 1995 and played a crucial role in shaping the band's identity and achieving their success. Over his time with the group, he contributed to 15 studio albums and collaborated with various artists, including a notable partnership with Los Nocheros from Salta for the album Carnaval, Pasión del Norte. Before Los Tekis, Ponce was part of the rock band Universo and briefly lived in Italy for seven years, where he learned to play salsa and Latin jazz. The bassist also found solace in drawing during his later years, and his artwork was exhibited in galleries across Argentina and internationally. In 2020, Los Tekis joined over 300 Argentine artists in participating in the virtual festival Argentina En La Casa, organized by Billboard Argentina, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.",
  "summary": "“There are no words that can express the emptiness we feel at this moment,” the group said in a statement.",
  "key_points": [
    "José Luis “Pucho” Ponce, 68, died early Wednesday",
    "Ponce joined Los Tekis in 1995, contributed to 15 albums",
    "Before Los Tekis, he played salsa and Latin jazz in Italy"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}