Lorenzo Herrera
Encyclopedia
Lorenzo Esteban Herrera is remembered as one of the greatest Venezuela
n singers and composers of the first half of the 20th century.
Herrera was born in Santa Rosalía, Caracas
. In 1923, he went along with his family to New York City
in search of new opportunities for his musical talent. In the first years, had to work as a shoemaker, but managed to obtain a contract with the most famous record companies of the time, RCA Victor, Columbia Records
, among others. In this city composed a great part of his famous songs, including the pasodoble
, La Sultana del Ávila. In 1935 participates at the film Joropo, produced by a group of Venezuelan residents in New York
, under the direction of Héctor Cabrera Sifontes, rolled in that city, acclimates the typical situations of the Venezuelan plains, and its final sequence, shows all the characters with formal wear, dancing joropo
at the great hall the Waldorf Astoria
, considered for the time one of the most luxurious hotels of the world. The same year, returns to Caracas
, continuing with his musical career, pioneering the bolero
, Venezuelan folk music
and the paso doble.
Lorenzo Herrera was also pioneer of the international promotion of Venezuelan music, managing to sign contracts with international record companies, giving concerts in Canada
, United States
, Colombia
, and Argentina
among other countries, also was known as a snappy dresser, having a huge collection of shirts, and appearing on stage with the traditional Venezuelan clothes. One of his most famous compositions is the Venezuelan merengue
Compae Pancho (often incorrectly written as Compadre Pancho or Compay Pancho).
His voice and his authentic Venezuela
n style made the name of Lorenzo Herrera synonymous with the grace and humor of Venezuela. As with the romanticism of his waltzes
which conserved the sentimental shades of principles of the 20th century, with the merengue
conveyed the grace of Caracas, with the joropo
presented the Venezuelan plains in the cords of the harp
and the cuatro
.
Lorenzo Herrera died at the age of 64. Between his famous songs, we can mention, Luisa, Josefina, Rosalinda, Juan José, El Bachaco, El Coletón, Mi Rancho, La Caldereta, Compae Pancho,La mula Rucia, Canta Ruiseñor, El primer amor, Chupa tu Mamey, Ya no sufras corazón, Vente pa´ ca mi negra, Caminito del llano adentro, among other compositions.
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 singers and composers of the first half of the 20th century.
Herrera was born in Santa Rosalía, Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
. In 1923, he went along with his family to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in search of new opportunities for his musical talent. In the first years, had to work as a shoemaker, but managed to obtain a contract with the most famous record companies of the time, RCA Victor, Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, among others. In this city composed a great part of his famous songs, including the pasodoble
Pasodoble
Pasodoble is a typical dance from Spain march-like musical style as well as the corresponding dance style danced by a couple. It is the type of music typically played in bullfights during the bullfighters' entrance to the ring or during the passes just before the kill...
, La Sultana del Ávila. In 1935 participates at the film Joropo, produced by a group of Venezuelan residents in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, under the direction of Héctor Cabrera Sifontes, rolled in that city, acclimates the typical situations of the Venezuelan plains, and its final sequence, shows all the characters with formal wear, dancing joropo
Joropo
The Joropo is a musical style resembling the waltz, and an accompanying dance, having African and European influences originated in Venezuela and performed in Colombia and Venezuela. It's a fundamental genre belonging to its typical music or música criolla...
at the great hall the Waldorf Astoria
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
The Waldorf-Astoria is a luxury hotel in New York. It has been housed in two historic landmark buildings in New York City. The first, designed by architect Henry J. Hardenbergh, was on the Fifth Avenue site of the Empire State Building. The present building at 301 Park Avenue in Manhattan is a...
, considered for the time one of the most luxurious hotels of the world. The same year, returns to Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, continuing with his musical career, pioneering the 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...
, Venezuelan folk music
Music of Venezuela
The music of Venezuela is an expression of the Venezuelan culture, which contains diverse Music genres, traditional and moderns according with the features of each geographic region; although it is frequent to find different musical styles in the same region...
and the paso doble.
Lorenzo Herrera was also pioneer of the international promotion of Venezuelan music, managing to sign contracts with international record companies, giving concerts in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, 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...
, and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
among other countries, also was known as a snappy dresser, having a huge collection of shirts, and appearing on stage with the traditional Venezuelan clothes. One of his most famous compositions is the Venezuelan merengue
Venezuelan merengue
The word merengue designates a musical form extended through all the Caribbean. The first occurrences of merengue in print in Venezuela are from scores of “dance merengue” of the second-half of the 19th century . As a dance craze, merengue acquired popularity in Caracas during the 1920s. It is...
Compae Pancho (often incorrectly written as Compadre Pancho or Compay Pancho).
Legacy
Lorenzo Herrera composed more than 500 songs, and most of them were successful.His voice and his authentic 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 style made the name of Lorenzo Herrera synonymous with the grace and humor of Venezuela. As with the romanticism of his waltzes
Venezuelan waltz
- History :Between the hall dances that arrived to Venezuela during the 19th century, waltz has been the one of greater root and dispersion. Waltz consists of a musical expression derived from an Austrian popular dance, the ländler...
which conserved the sentimental shades of principles of the 20th century, with the merengue
Venezuelan merengue
The word merengue designates a musical form extended through all the Caribbean. The first occurrences of merengue in print in Venezuela are from scores of “dance merengue” of the second-half of the 19th century . As a dance craze, merengue acquired popularity in Caracas during the 1920s. It is...
conveyed the grace of Caracas, with the joropo
Joropo
The Joropo is a musical style resembling the waltz, and an accompanying dance, having African and European influences originated in Venezuela and performed in Colombia and Venezuela. It's a fundamental genre belonging to its typical music or música criolla...
presented the Venezuelan plains in the cords of the harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
and the cuatro
Cuatro (instrument)
The cuatro is any of several Latin American instruments of the guitar or lute family. The cuatro is smaller than a guitar. Cuatro means four in Spanish, although current instruments may have more than four strings....
.
Lorenzo Herrera died at the age of 64. Between his famous songs, we can mention, Luisa, Josefina, Rosalinda, Juan José, El Bachaco, El Coletón, Mi Rancho, La Caldereta, Compae Pancho,La mula Rucia, Canta Ruiseñor, El primer amor, Chupa tu Mamey, Ya no sufras corazón, Vente pa´ ca mi negra, Caminito del llano adentro, among other compositions.
Source
- Based on the exhaustive investigation of Guillermo Ramos Flamerich about the life of Lorenzo Herrera