Irene Martínez (la niña Irene), native of Gamero, relatively near to the Caribbean coast of Colombia, gained local fame along with Emilia Herrera (la niña Emilia) in the 1980s, when Irene was in her 60s and Emilia in her 50s. A singer and composer since she was a child, Irene, along with the group formed around her, Los Soneros de Gamero, found a vehicle to sing her compositions, only shared with friends and family until then, becoming the sensation of the carnivals in Cartagena and Barranquilla for years.

“La Hormiga Prieta”, an example of the mixture of influences, like cumbia and bullerengue, in Los Soneros de Gamero, shows the vocal genius of Irene, introducing a melody that attempts to interrupt and delay the rhythm, creating a new musical layer in the piece while telling a story about an everyday experience.