Eladio Torres
Encyclopedia
Eladio Torres is a Puerto Rican
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...

 poet, musician,composer and singer, whose danza, "Tu vives en mi pensamiento" (You live in my thoughts) is one of the three most popular Puerto Rican Danzas of the 20th century. Many versions of this danza have been performed and recorded by various famous singers and musical groups.

Early years

Torres was born in the City of Bayamon, Puerto Rico
Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Bayamón is a municipality of Puerto Rico located on the northern coastal valley, north of Aguas Buenas and Comerío; south of Toa Baja and Cataño; west of Guaynabo; and east of Toa Alta and Naranjito. Bayamón is spread over 11 wards and Bayamón Pueblo...

 and at a young age moved with his parents to the United States. When he was six years old after watching Elvis Presley perform in 1956 on the Ed Sullivan Show he realized that he wanted to be a musician. After returning with his family to Puerto Rico in 1958, he was influenced by his maternal grandmother who would often talk to him about Puerto Rican music, culture and traditions. During his teens he taught himself how to play the guitar under the influence of groups like The Beatles and singer songwriters like Bob Dylan; by the time he was 17 he was composing his own songs. In the late 1960s, after he completed his high school he traveled to Spain to expand his creative horizons only to return to the island a year and a half later.

Musical career

Back in Puerto Rico Torres founded with a group of fellow musicians a band that they named Alborada ( LIGHT OF DAWN ). It was during this timeframe that he recorded his Danza: "Tu vives en mi pensamiento" ( You live in my thoughts ) with Danny Rivera as its performer and which became one of the most popular of its genre. In the year 1978 Eladio, as a singer songwriter recorded his album: ELADIO TORRES/UNO and as a poet under the auspices of the Puertorrican Institute of Culture ( ICP ) published his book of poems: POEMAS DE LA DUALIDAD ( POEMS OF THE DUALITY )

Later years

Regardless of the success of his compositions and writings, Torres did not feel appreciated for his musical talents and moved back to the United States. There he got married and raised his family. At night he went to college and earned a degree in Psychology. He currently resides in New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...

 and is a counseling specialist at a mental health clinic.

On April 26, 1972, the Government of Puerto Rico approved Law Ley #20 which established "La Semana de la Danza" (Danza Week). In May 2010, the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture which is in charge of the feastivities, dedicated "La Semana de la Danza" to Eladio Torres.Various versions of "Tu vives en mi pensamiento" were played during Torres' tribute and recognition.

See also

  • List of famous Puerto Ricans
  • Puerto Rican songwriters
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