Gilberto Monroig
Encyclopedia
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, and singer of boleros
Music of Puerto Rico
The music of Puerto Rico has been influenced by the Spanish, African, Taíno Indians, France, and the United States, and has become very popular across the Caribbean and across the globe...
.
Early years
Monroig's parents moved from the countryside to the city in search of a better way of life and settled in the Villa Palmera sector of SanturceSanturce, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Santurce is a district of San Juan, Puerto Rico.-Summary:Santurce is one of the top ten most populated areas of the island holding Miramar, Loíza, Isla Grande, Barrio Obrero, and Condado as main cultural hot spots for art, music, cuisine, fashion, hotels, technology, multimedia, film, textile and...
, a section of San Juan where the musical sounds of the bomba and plena
Music of Puerto Rico
The music of Puerto Rico has been influenced by the Spanish, African, Taíno Indians, France, and the United States, and has become very popular across the Caribbean and across the globe...
and of the tango
Tango music
Tango is a style of ballroom dance music in 2/4 or 4/4 time that originated among European immigrant populations of Argentina and Uruguay . It is traditionally played by a sextet, known as the orquesta típica, which includes two violins, piano, double bass, and two bandoneons...
filled the air. Monroig was born in Santurce, where he received his primary and secondary education. He later moved to New York City and earned his high school equivalent diploma.
When he was ten years old, he would imitate his favorite singer, the famed Argentine singer of tangos, Carlos Gardel
Carlos Gardel
Carlos Gardel was a singer, songwriter and actor, and is perhaps the most prominent figure in the history of tango. He was born in Toulouse, France, although he never acknowledged his birthplace publicly, and there are still claims of his birth in Uruguay. He lived in Argentina from the age of two...
. His father once gave his brother, Luis a guitar which Monroig learned to play better than his brother - often resulting in a fight over the instrument. Finally, Monroig's father decided that it would be best if he bought him one also.
Professional singer
In 1943, at age 13, he joined a group called "Taone" and a year later joined another band by the name of "Maravilla". However, it was when the "Super Orchestra Tropicana" directed by Rafael Elvira hired him that he received his first big break as a professional singer. In 1948, Pete Rivera invited Monroig to sing for his band in the inauguration of the Caribe Hilton HotelHilton Hotels
Hilton Hotels & Resorts is an international chain of full-service hotels and resorts founded by Conrad Hilton and now owned by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton hotels are either owned by, managed by, or franchised to independent operators by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton Hotels became the first coast-to-coast...
in San Juan. Pete soon left the island and headed for New York, where he organized another band. He joined Pete in New York, where he began to gain fame as a bolero singer. During his years in New York, he played for various bands and traveled to the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
and Curaçao
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...
.
In the early 1950s, Monroig joined 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"...
's Orchestra and recorded various songs. Among them was "Malcriada" which became a "hit". A favorite in New York played on Radio WADO was the hit single of a sexy bolero "Que Chevere" by singer/composer Miguel Poventud
Miguel Poventud
Miguel Poventud a.k.a. "El Niño Prodigio de Guayama" and "Miguelito" , was a Puerto Rican musician, singer, actor and composer of Boleros...
. He would return to Puerto Rico to make many other instant "hits" with the songs "Mujer" (Women) and "Duerme, Margarita" (Sleep, Margarita). He also recorded some songs by composers Pedro Flores
Pedro Flores (composer)
Pedro Flores born was one Puerto Rico's best known composers of Ballads and Boleros.-Early years:Flores was one of 12 children born into a poor family in the town of Naguabo, Puerto Rico. Flores' father died when he was only nine years old and therefore, he was forced to work at a young age...
and Rafael Hernández. He won his first Gold Record Award in 1959, with "Egoismo".
Later years
Monroig returned to New York and in 1964, he won his second Gold Record Award with "Simplemente Una Ilusión" (Simply an Illusion). He sang for various bands including Tito Puente's and traveled throughout the United States and Latin-America. He also made many television presentations in Puerto Rico. Monroig had two sons and one daughter from two marriages. They are Gilberto Jr., GlennGlenn Monroig
Glenn Monroig , is a composer, guitarist, and singer of various types of music styles, such as salsa, boleros and rumba. He is credited with having recorded the first rap song in Spanish.-Early years:...
(who followed in his footsteps) and Linda.
Gilberto Monroig died on May 3, 1996 in Santurce. He was laid to rest in Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery
Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery
Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery is a colonial-era cemetery located in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is the final resting place of many of Puerto Rico's most prominent natives and residents. Construction began in 1863 under the auspices of Ignacio Mascaro. The cemetery is located outside...
, close to the remains of singers Pedro Flores, Daniel Santos
Daniel Santos (singer)
Daniel Santos was a singer and composer of boleros, and an overall performer of multiple Caribbean music genres, including guaracha, plena and rumba...
and Rafael Hernández.
Legacy
Puerto Rico has honored his memory by naming an avenue in San Juan after him. In 2002, he was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of FameInternational Latin Music Hall of Fame
The International Latin Music Hall of Fame was established in 1999.In addition to the induction into the Hall of Fame, the award ceremonies include Special Recognition Awards and Beny Moré Memorial Award.-1999:...
.
See also
- List of famous Puerto Ricans
- French immigration to Puerto RicoFrench immigration to Puerto RicoThe French immigration to Puerto Rico came about as a result of the economic and political situations which occurred in various places such as Louisiana , Saint-Domingue and in Europe....