Hernán Coronel, the 48-year-old vocalist of the cumbia group Mala Fama, has emerged as a participant in the new season of MasterChef Celebrity on Telefe. Hosted by Wanda Nara, the cooking reality show features 24 new participants showcasing their culinary skills before a judging panel composed of Germán Martitegui, Damián Betular, and Maru Botana.
Born on March 10, 1978, in San Fernando, in the province of Buenos Aires, Coronel grew up with five siblings: four brothers and two women. According to the artist, his interest in music began when he was just four years old. While he spent his early years playing tennis and football, he gradually began exploring his artistic side by inventing songs and singing. A pivotal moment in his youth came when a firefighter neighbor gifted him a criolla guitar, an instrument he used to compose some of his earliest material. By age 18, encouragement from those around him who praised his lyrics pushed him to focus entirely on musical composition.
From the Cumbia Underground to Television Kitchens
Coronel’s professional trajectory shifted in 1998 when he met Cristian Galarza, a well-known keyboardist in the tropical genre who had previously worked with groups like Amar Azul and Yerba Brava. Collaborating with Galarza, Coronel developed the foundation for Mala Fama’s first two albums: Ritmo sustancia (2000) and Para vos basuura (2001). During their studio sessions, Galarza experimented with various keyboard settings until hitting upon the pizzicato—a dry, clipped sound that became a defining auditory trademark of the band.
The name Mala Fama was chosen by Coronel as a tribute to the reputation he earned during his childhood in the Buenos Aires locality of Virreyes, where neighbors frequently complained about him playing in the street, to the point of calling the police. Visually, Coronel adopted a distinct street aesthetic featuring visors, sportswear, and long hair, despite many people associating those elements with being “bad” or “villero”.
Amid the explosion of Argentine cumbia villera—led by groups like Damas Gratis, Yerba Brava, Pibes Chorros, Meta Guacha, Flor de Piedra, and Los Gedes—Mala Fama stood out through melodic arrangements combined with humor and irreverence. Their debut album, Ritmo sustancia, established Coronel in the tropical scene with songs that became classics of the group such as “La marca de la gorra”, “Made in Argentina”, “La resaca de tu amor”, and “El guampachata”.
Commercial Exposure and Artistic Independence
The band’s highest level of exposure during its initial phase arrived with Para vos basuura in 2001. The group appeared on television programs like Pasión de sábado and Videomatch, and participated in events including Racing Club’s 2001 Apertura championship celebrations at the Cilindro de Avellaneda stadium. Following a period of inactivity after their second record, Coronel pursued a solo project, releasing the album Si tenés… Mandale mecha!!! in 2004. Portions of that repertoire were later reworked for Mala Fama’s third studio album in 2008, marking the band’s return to the local scene as the cumbia villera boom had passed and the industry showed less interest in the genre’s groups.
Throughout his career, Coronel did not show interest in transforming his career into a succession of shows, instead championing “vagancia” as a way to stand against an industry that demands multiple recitals per night, permanent travel, and a nearly mechanical music consumption. Decades later, he remains at the helm of Mala Fama, releasing the 14-track project LSM: La sagrada musiquera in 2024, which explored genres including cumbia, rock, dance music, and ballads with contributions from guest artists including Joaquín Levinton and musicians associated with Los Fundamentalistas del Aire Acondicionado.
A New Stage in MasterChef Celebrity
Coronel’s transition to reality television competitor places him among a roster of 24 participants navigating the kitchen environment overseen by Wanda Nara and evaluated by Martitegui, Betular, and Botana.
The launch of this season of MasterChef Celebrity marks Telefe’s deployment of the culinary format.
