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He was born Rafael Hernandez Marin in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico and is considered to be the most important Puerto Rican
composer of all time. He came
from a poor family and while still very young he made a living as a cigar
maker. He became a full time
music student when he was 12 years old and studied in San
Juan, becoming a multi-instrumentalist and later a
composer. When he was 14 he
played for the Cocolia Orquestra. In 1917 he worked as a musician in North
Carolina and enlisted in the US Army for WWI,
serving in France. While he was there he toured with
the Orchestra Europe.
Once the war was over he moved to New
York
and in the 1920s he started to write songs and set up Trio Borincano.
Following their break up he formed a quartet who widely
performed. He moved to Mexico
in 1932 and directed an orchestra there as well as acted and arranged the
scores of several movies. His
famous works include "Lamento Borincan" and "Preciosa". In 1947 he became the director of
the Puerto Rico Symphony orchestra and was musical director to WIPR
Radio. He composed danzas, boleros and waltzes as well as patriotic
music. He was Honorary
President of the Authors and Composers Association and the founder of
little league baseball in Puerto
Rico. The airport at Aguadilla is named after him
as are two schools in Boston
and Newark.
President John F. Kennedy
christened him "Mr. Cumanchero". He died from cancer in San Juan on 11th December 1965. He
was 73 years old.
Anacani
Recordings
Cuban Moonlight
(Rafael Hernandez/Al Gershon)
Sources:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafael_Hern%C3%A1ndez_Mar%C3%ADn
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