José Luis "Pucho" Ponce, longtime bassist of the Argentine folk group Los Tekis, has died at the age of 68. The band confirmed his death on social media early on 19 August, with bandmates paying an emotional tribute describing him as a "friend, brother, companion in music and in life" and recalling his warmth and the memories they shared.

According to the Argentine outlet La Gaceta, Ponce died following a deterioration linked to a serious illness diagnosed roughly two months earlier. Born in Villa María, Córdoba, he joined Los Tekis in 1995 and spent more than three decades helping shape the Jujuy-based band's sound, contributing to 15 studio albums and the Gardel Award-winning record Carnaval, Pasión del Norte with Los Nocheros. Before Los Tekis, he played in the rock band Universo and spent seven years in Italy performing salsa and Latin jazz, and in later years he also became known for his single-line drawing artwork exhibited across Argentina and abroad.