Horacio Olivo
Encyclopedia
Horacio Olivo is a well known Puerto Rican actor, comedian, TV and radio personality, as well as a classically trained singer.
Born in Dorado, Puerto Rico
, he got his start in show business in 1949 at long defunct WNEL
as a radio soap opera actor.
He graduated from the Instituto Comercial de Puerto Rico, and studied for 3 years at the Puerto Rico Music Conservatory.
He participated in various Festival Casals concerts as a tenor in the chorus section.
Olivo has also acted in various plays during the Puerto Rican and International Theatre Festivals, was the station announcer for all the WIPR stations (WIPR
, WIPR-FM
, and WIPR-TV
), and acted in comedy TV shows like Como está la situación, and Esto no tiene nombre, produced by Tommy Muñiz
.
Horacio Olivo is perhaps better known as the booming voice behind Los Rayos Gamma
. One of the Rayos Gamma's better known parodies was Olivo's hugely popular antagonistic ode to the U.S. Navy, based on Ernesto Lecuona
's song "Granada
". He was reportedly fired from his WIPR post because of his political beliefs (his was the official voice of the Puerto Rico Independence Party's radio spots), and for a while, he owned a fried chicken establishment in his hometown of Dorado.
Olivo had been partially retired from public life because of health-related issues: he had open heart surgery in October 2011. He nominally remains a part of Los Rayos Gamma, who filmed a comedy interview with him for their latest show in November 2011. However, Olivo suffered a cardiac incident on 22 November 2011.. As of 23 November he remains in serious condition at San Juan's Pavía Hospital.
The Olivo family had eight siblings, of which Horacio is the oldest. The fifth sibling, Johnny Olivo, founded and headed Puerto Rico's plena
collective, Los Pleneros del Quinto Olivo.
Born in Dorado, Puerto Rico
Dorado, Puerto Rico
Dorado is a small tourist town in the northern coast of Puerto Rico, west of San Juan and is located in the northern region of the island, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, north of Toa Alta, east of Vega Alta, and west of Toa Baja. Dorado is spread over five barrios and Dorado Pueblo...
, he got his start in show business in 1949 at long defunct WNEL
WNEL
WNEL is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish Oldies format. Licensed to Caguas, Puerto Rico, USA, it serves the Puerto Rico area. The station is currently owned by Turabo Radio Corporation....
as a radio soap opera actor.
He graduated from the Instituto Comercial de Puerto Rico, and studied for 3 years at the Puerto Rico Music Conservatory.
He participated in various Festival Casals concerts as a tenor in the chorus section.
Olivo has also acted in various plays during the Puerto Rican and International Theatre Festivals, was the station announcer for all the WIPR stations (WIPR
WIPR (AM)
WIPR is a radio station broadcasting a talk radio format. Licensed to San Juan, Puerto Rico, the station is currently owned by The Puerto Rico Corporation for Public Broadcasting....
, WIPR-FM
WIPR-FM
WIPR-FM is a radio station broadcasting a classical format. Licensed to San Juan, Puerto Rico, the station is currently owned by la Corporación de Puerto Rico para la Difusión Pública.-External links:*...
, and WIPR-TV
WIPR-TV
WIPR-TV is an non-commercial educational, full-power public television station located in San Juan, Puerto Rico transmitting over analog channel 6, digital 43. The station is owned and operated by Corporación de Puerto Rico para la Difusión Pública ...
), and acted in comedy TV shows like Como está la situación, and Esto no tiene nombre, produced by Tommy Muñiz
Tommy Muñiz
Lucas Tomás Muñiz Ramírez , better known as Tommy Muñiz, was a Puerto Rican comedy and drama actor, media producer, businessman and network owner...
.
Horacio Olivo is perhaps better known as the booming voice behind Los Rayos Gamma
Los Rayos Gamma
Los Rayos Gamma is a Puerto Rican comedy troupe specializing in political satire. The group was founded in the late 1960s and is currently composed of:* Sunshine Logroño - comedian, actor, host, singer, producer...
. One of the Rayos Gamma's better known parodies was Olivo's hugely popular antagonistic ode to the U.S. Navy, based on Ernesto Lecuona
Ernesto Lecuona
Ernesto Lecuona y Casado was a Cuban composer and pianist of Canarian father and Cuban mother, and worldwide fame. He composed over six hundred pieces, mostly in the Cuban vein, and was a pianist of exceptional quality....
's song "Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
". He was reportedly fired from his WIPR post because of his political beliefs (his was the official voice of the Puerto Rico Independence Party's radio spots), and for a while, he owned a fried chicken establishment in his hometown of Dorado.
Olivo had been partially retired from public life because of health-related issues: he had open heart surgery in October 2011. He nominally remains a part of Los Rayos Gamma, who filmed a comedy interview with him for their latest show in November 2011. However, Olivo suffered a cardiac incident on 22 November 2011.. As of 23 November he remains in serious condition at San Juan's Pavía Hospital.
The Olivo family had eight siblings, of which Horacio is the oldest. The fifth sibling, Johnny Olivo, founded and headed Puerto Rico's plena
Plena
Plena is a folkloric genre native to Puerto Rico. Its creation was influenced by African and Spanish music.-History:The music is generally folkloric. The music's beat and rhythm are usually played using hand drums called panderetas, but also known as panderos or pleneras. The music is accompanied...
collective, Los Pleneros del Quinto Olivo.