"Gabo turns 80 this month.

But his birthday isn't his only special anniversary this year - his first story was published 60 years ago, his literary breakthrough came 40 years ago with the novel One Hundred Years of Solitude and he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature 25 years ago."

Every time Shakira is in Mexico, Gabriel García Márquez (Colombian writer) is dancing in the first row, or dropping by the dressing room to say hello to her.

The 80 years old writer loves Latin rythms, and he's a big promoter of "vallenato".

Vallenato is a music genre born in Colombia. Gabo states vallenato is "to listen to and not to dance", despite the fact many people like to dance it.

"All my life vallenato has made me happy" wrote Garcia Márquez on a letter, published last year on "El Tiempo", a Colombian newspaper. It's been said the letter helped the inclusion of vallenato as a category of the Latin Grammy Awards.

According to the writer, "Cien años de soledad" (One Hundred Years of Solitude), his most famous book, is a 400 pages vallenato; and "El amor en los tiempos del cólera" (Love in the Time of Cholera) a 380 pages bolero.

Last year, Garcia Márquez joined efforts with music stars like Shakira, Juanes, Miguel Bosé and alejandro sanz, accepting the position of honorary president of the ALAS Foundation. ALAS works to improve the situation of Latin American children living in poverty.

Gabo lives in Mexico DC. He doesn't write for the press nor give interviews; he has said he's tired to being asked the same questions all the time.

He lives with his wife, Mercedes, in Pedregal de San Angel, a neighborhood on the South of the Mexican capital.

Happy Birthday, Gabo!

Sources and More Info: The Sidney Morning Herald - Milenio.com