Canelita Medina
Encyclopedia
Canelita Medina is a Venezuelan salsa
singer noted for singing in the Cuban Son style. She had always dreamt of becoming a singer as a young girl, imitating the salsa singer Celia Cruz
and when she entered a radio talent program on Radio Continente, she caught the attention of talent agents with her unique voice. Over the years Canelita has achieved great success nationally and internationally and is successful to this day. Through more than 50 years of her life as an artist Canelita Medina has received many awards.
Her daughter Trina Medina
has also had a notable career in music as a soloist and music writer for the 2007 Venezuelan film, Una abuela virgen. (see her biography in Spanish.) In The Book of Salsa, Rondón states, "it is impossible to overlook the contributions of Canelita and her daughter, Trina Medina, each with her own distinct, yet connected style."
on March 6, 1939, and is seen as one of the greatest symbols of the "Son Montuno
". She is a source of national pride for Venezuela and their 'living legend' recently celebrated fifty years of life as an artist with a CD collection. She is considered one of the most versatile voices in Venezuela to sing music like Son
, the Guajira
, the rhythmic Montuno
and Bolero
. Since childhood she demonstrated an aptitude for singing. Her musical career began on a professional level in 1957 with the act "Sonora Caracas", with whom she remained for seven years and made her first recording "Canelita". She also joined "Los megatones de Lucho" and "Los Caribes" by Victor Piñero, after her performance alongside the "Estrellas Latinas" of La Guaira
. Canelita took a break from the performances for a period of eight years, until joining Federico Betancourt in "Federico y su Combo Latino" and recording her first hit, "Besos brujos". However, her talent became well known after she decided to go solo, recording the legendary album Sones y Guajira, a classic of Venezuela
n discography. The album included "Rosa roja", "Yo no escondo a mi abuelita" and "Eso no es ná" among others. She then recorded albums highlighting her great success, Quiéreme, Noche triunfal, Canto a La Guaira among others, until she became involved in the musical experience of Sonero Clásico del Caribe with whom she recorded two albums, from which two songs "Tanto y tanto" and "Ta ta Candela" became international hits.
After several years, Canelita formed her own group, with whom she performed many times. The popular Venezuelan singer alternated concerts among the internationally recognised performers with various groups such as Orquesta América, La Aragón, Sonora Matancera
, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Los Hermanos Lebrón, Estrellas de Fania, Richy Ray y Bobby Cruz
, Sonora Ponceña, Johnny Pacheco
, Celia Cruz
, Oscar D'León
y José Mangual Jr.
She performed solo performances in many Venezuela
n cities as well as in various different countries including Peru
, Colombia
, Costa Rica
, Curacao
, Aruba
, United States
, Mexico
and Cuba
.
She attended many festivals as a special guest, in particular the International Salsa Festival held in the Teatro Teresa Carreño, and the Benny Moré
Festival, the Son Festival, held in the Santiago, Cuba and Curacao
respectively. In recent years she has worked with Andy Durán in countless presentations at national and international levels and in various concerts at the UCV Aula Magna, paying homage to the greats of Latin music La noche de Los Titos (Tito Rodriguez
and Tito Puente
), Fania All-Stars
and Celia Cruz
, from which she released the live album Canelita and Andy Duran's tribute concert for Celia Cruz
.
She was also a special guest at the Oscar D'Leon
concert held in the Aula Magna UCV, celebrating 50 years with the Orquesta Sinfónica Municipal de Caracas, as well as at a tribute to Alfredo Sadel
held in the Square Las Mercedes
performed by the Orquesta Sinfónica Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho.
state government. She then produced a CD collection including Besos brujos, El que se va no hace falta, Tanto y tanto, Quiéreme, Besos salvajes, Yo no escondo a mi abuelita, El cangrejo no tiene ná, La ruñidera, Soy Canela, El son de mi nación, Rosas rojas, La alborada, Una noche de Francia, Coco Seco.
Salsa music
Salsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...
singer noted for singing in the Cuban Son style. She had always dreamt of becoming a singer as a young girl, imitating the salsa singer Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz was a Cuban-American salsa singer, and was one of the most successful Salsa performers of the 20th century, having earned twenty-three gold albums...
and when she entered a radio talent program on Radio Continente, she caught the attention of talent agents with her unique voice. Over the years Canelita has achieved great success nationally and internationally and is successful to this day. Through more than 50 years of her life as an artist Canelita Medina has received many awards.
Her daughter Trina Medina
Trina Medina
Trina Medina is a Venezuelan Salsa and Son singer, songwriter and music arranger. She wrote the music for the 2007 Venezuelan film Una abuela virgen, the music for the 1999 film At Midnight and a Half and the soundtrack for the film I Like It Like That includes Trina's rendition of Anda Y Camina. ...
has also had a notable career in music as a soloist and music writer for the 2007 Venezuelan film, Una abuela virgen. (see her biography in Spanish.) In The Book of Salsa, Rondón states, "it is impossible to overlook the contributions of Canelita and her daughter, Trina Medina, each with her own distinct, yet connected style."
Biography
Canelita Medina, whose real name is Rogelio Medina, was born in the port of La GuairaLa Guaira
La Guaira is the capital city of the Venezuelan state of Vargas and the country's chief port. It was founded in 1577 as an outlet for Caracas, to the southeast. The town and the port were badly damaged during the December 1999 floods and mudslides that affected much of the region...
on March 6, 1939, and is seen as one of the greatest symbols of the "Son Montuno
Son montuno
The son montuno is a style of the Cuban son, but exactly what it means is not an easy question to answer. The son itself is the most important genre of Cuban popular music. In addition, it is perhaps the most flexible of all forms of Latin-American music...
". She is a source of national pride for Venezuela and their 'living legend' recently celebrated fifty years of life as an artist with a CD collection. She is considered one of the most versatile voices in Venezuela to sing music like Son
Son
A son is a male offspring; a boy or man in relation to his parents. The female analogue is a daughter.-Social issues regarding sons:In pre-industrial societies and some current countries with agriculture-based economies, a higher value was, and still is, assigned to sons rather than daughters,...
, the Guajira
Guajira
Guajira may refer to:* Department of La Guajira, a department of Colombia which includes most of the Guajira Peninsula* La Guajira Desert, a desert which covers most of the Guajira Peninsula...
, the rhythmic Montuno
Montuno
Montuno has several meanings pertaining to Cuban music and its derivatives. Literally, montuno means 'comes from the mountain', and so Son montuno may refer to the older type of son played in the mountainous rural areas of Oriente...
and Bolero
Bolero
Bolero is a form of slow-tempo Latin music and its associated dance and song. There are Spanish and Cuban forms which are both significant and which have separate origins.The term is also used for some art music...
. Since childhood she demonstrated an aptitude for singing. Her musical career began on a professional level in 1957 with the act "Sonora Caracas", with whom she remained for seven years and made her first recording "Canelita". She also joined "Los megatones de Lucho" and "Los Caribes" by Victor Piñero, after her performance alongside the "Estrellas Latinas" of La Guaira
La Guaira
La Guaira is the capital city of the Venezuelan state of Vargas and the country's chief port. It was founded in 1577 as an outlet for Caracas, to the southeast. The town and the port were badly damaged during the December 1999 floods and mudslides that affected much of the region...
. Canelita took a break from the performances for a period of eight years, until joining Federico Betancourt in "Federico y su Combo Latino" and recording her first hit, "Besos brujos". However, her talent became well known after she decided to go solo, recording the legendary album Sones y Guajira, a classic of Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n discography. The album included "Rosa roja", "Yo no escondo a mi abuelita" and "Eso no es ná" among others. She then recorded albums highlighting her great success, Quiéreme, Noche triunfal, Canto a La Guaira among others, until she became involved in the musical experience of Sonero Clásico del Caribe with whom she recorded two albums, from which two songs "Tanto y tanto" and "Ta ta Candela" became international hits.
After several years, Canelita formed her own group, with whom she performed many times. The popular Venezuelan singer alternated concerts among the internationally recognised performers with various groups such as Orquesta América, La Aragón, Sonora Matancera
Sonora Matancera
La Sonora Matancera is a long-time band. Led by guitarist and vocalist Rogelio Martínez, La Sonora Matancera has been called, by the Guinness Book of World Records, "the group with the longest duration."...
, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Los Hermanos Lebrón, Estrellas de Fania, Richy Ray y Bobby Cruz
Bobby Cruz
Bobby Cruz is a salsa singer and religious minister. He is well known for his success beginning in 1965 as part of the duo Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz. His seminal professional pairing with Richie Ray is one of the longest-lived partnerships in Latino music, lasting over 45 years...
, Sonora Ponceña, Johnny Pacheco
Johnny Pacheco
Johnny Pacheco is a Dominican producer, musician, bandleader, and one of the most influential figures in American salsa music.-Early life:...
, Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz was a Cuban-American salsa singer, and was one of the most successful Salsa performers of the 20th century, having earned twenty-three gold albums...
, Oscar D'León
Oscar D'León
Oscar Emilio León Somoza, better known as Oscar D'León is a Venezuelan musician who became internationally famous for his salsa music. In Spanish, he is known as El Sonero del Mundo . His most famous song is perhaps "Llorarás," which he recorded in 1975 with his group La Dimensión Latina...
y José Mangual Jr.
She performed solo performances in many Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n cities as well as in various different countries including Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, Curacao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
, Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
.
She attended many festivals as a special guest, in particular the International Salsa Festival held in the Teatro Teresa Carreño, and the Benny Moré
Benny Moré
Benny Moré , or Beny, was a Cuban singer. He is often thought of as the greatest Cuban popular singer of all time. He was gifted with an innate musicality and fluid tenor voice which he colored and phrased with great expressivity...
Festival, the Son Festival, held in the Santiago, Cuba and Curacao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
respectively. In recent years she has worked with Andy Durán in countless presentations at national and international levels and in various concerts at the UCV Aula Magna, paying homage to the greats of Latin music La noche de Los Titos (Tito Rodriguez
Tito Rodriguez
Tito Rodríguez was a popular 1950s and 1960s Puerto Rican singer and bandleader. He is known by many fans as "El Inolvidable" , a moniker based on his most popular interpretation, a song written by composer Julio Gutierrez.-Early years:Rodríguez , born in Santurce, Puerto Rico,...
and Tito Puente
Tito Puente
Tito Puente, , born Ernesto Antonio Puente, was a Latin jazz and Salsa musician. The son of native Puerto Ricans Ernest and Ercilia Puente, of Spanish Harlem in New York City, Puente is often credited as "El Rey de los Timbales" and "The King of Latin Music"...
), Fania All-Stars
Fania All-Stars
The Fania All-Stars was a musical ensemble established in 1968 by the composer, Johnny Pacheco, as a showcase for the musicians on the record label Fania Records, the leading salsa record company of the time.-Beginnings:...
and Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz was a Cuban-American salsa singer, and was one of the most successful Salsa performers of the 20th century, having earned twenty-three gold albums...
, from which she released the live album Canelita and Andy Duran's tribute concert for Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz was a Cuban-American salsa singer, and was one of the most successful Salsa performers of the 20th century, having earned twenty-three gold albums...
.
She was also a special guest at the Oscar D'Leon
Oscar D'León
Oscar Emilio León Somoza, better known as Oscar D'León is a Venezuelan musician who became internationally famous for his salsa music. In Spanish, he is known as El Sonero del Mundo . His most famous song is perhaps "Llorarás," which he recorded in 1975 with his group La Dimensión Latina...
concert held in the Aula Magna UCV, celebrating 50 years with the Orquesta Sinfónica Municipal de Caracas, as well as at a tribute to Alfredo Sadel
Alfredo Sadel
Alfredo Sadel was a popular Venezuelan singer and actor. Born Alfredo Sánchez Luna in Caracas, Venezuela, Sadel was affectionately called "The Favorite Tenor of Venezuela" . He adopted his stage name by combining the first syllable of his surname with the last syllable of the surname of his...
held in the Square Las Mercedes
Las Mercedes
Las Mercedes is the largest district for shopping and leisure in Latin America. It is located at the Baruta Municipality, Caracas.It contains discos and pubs...
performed by the Orquesta Sinfónica Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho.
Latest album
In 2008 she received the Orden Carlos Soublette recognition award from the VargasVargas (state)
Vargas State is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. Named after Venezuela's first non-military president, José María Vargas, Vargas comprises a coastal region in the north of Venezuela, bordering Aragua to the west, Miranda to the east, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Capital District to the...
state government. She then produced a CD collection including Besos brujos, El que se va no hace falta, Tanto y tanto, Quiéreme, Besos salvajes, Yo no escondo a mi abuelita, El cangrejo no tiene ná, La ruñidera, Soy Canela, El son de mi nación, Rosas rojas, La alborada, Una noche de Francia, Coco Seco.
Discography
Canelita made a total of 24 albums, the most popular of which are listed below.| Publication year | Títle | Record label |
| 1957 | Canelita | Foca Records |
| 1979 | Sones y Guajiras | Foca Records |
| 1980 | Sonero Clásico del Caribe & Canelita | Foca Records |
| 1980 | Trae candela | Foca records |
| 1982 | Son... A mi manera | CBS Columbia (Venezuela) |
| 1983 | Yo soy el son | Foca records |
| 1984 | Lo que siento | CBS Columbia (Venezuela) |
| 1986 | La experiencia y el Futuro | Combo Records |
| 1988 | Bailable y con clase | Foca records |
| 1994 | Ayer y Hoy | Foca records |
| 2004 | Canelita y Andy Durán en concierto Tributo a Celia | Foca Records |
| 2008 | Canelita Medina en vivo ...50 años de vida artistica | TM Producciones |