Rigoberto Fontao Meza was one of the most outstanding poets of the Paraguayan native song-book. His highly descriptive and elegant rhymed poems enriched the Paraguayan literature history in Guaraní, Spanish and jopara.

He was born in Tape Ka'aty, located in the San Pedro Department

San Pedro Department

San Pedro Department may refer to:In Argentina*San Pedro Department, Jujuy*San Pedro Department, MisionesIn Paraguay*San Pedro Department, Paraguay...

, Paraguay

Paraguay

Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...

, December 29 of 1900, son of Benjamín Fontao and Marciana Meza.

The died in Asunción

Asunción

Asunción is the capital and largest city of Paraguay.The "Ciudad de Asunción" is an autonomous capital district not part of any department. The metropolitan area, called Gran Asunción, includes the cities of San Lorenzo, Fernando de la Mora, Lambaré, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Ñemby, San...

, Paraguay

Paraguay

Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...

, December 29 of 1936, the same day that he reached 36 years old.

Childhood and youth

His high composer attributes where useful to being the first author of the verses of the first guaranias composed by the creator of that revolutionary Paraguayan style, José Asunción Flores

José Asunción Flores

José Asunción Flores was a Paraguayan composer and creator of the Guarania music genre.-Early life:Flores was born in the poor neighborhood of La Chacarita, in Asunción. As a kid, he had to work as a paperboy and shoeshiner in order to help his mother with food and other necessities...

, whom he maintained a long and strong friendship, ruined later by a disagreement between them related to the guarania "India".

Career

He is the creator of many extraordinary and famous pieces as "El Arriero", "Arribeño Resay", "Ka'aty", and many others.

He gained the friendship of many composers of his time, being José Asunción Flores

José Asunción Flores

José Asunción Flores was a Paraguayan composer and creator of the Guarania music genre.-Early life:Flores was born in the poor neighborhood of La Chacarita, in Asunción. As a kid, he had to work as a paperboy and shoeshiner in order to help his mother with food and other necessities...

 maybe the most famous of them. He composed the lyrics of the songs "Arribeño Resay", "Ka'aty" and the first version of "India" for him.

He wrote the lyrics of El Arriero", with Félix Pérez Cardozo

Félix Pérez Cardozo

He was born on the November 20, 1908 to Teodoro Pérez and Cándida Rosa Cardozo in the small town of Hyaty in the state of Guairá in Paraguay. This town currently carries his name. Pérez Cardozo died on April 8, 1973 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.- Beginnings :...

 composing a song for it later. This piece was very famous and nowadays we could still listen it by various media and in different versions by many interpreters.

When Manuel Ortiz Guerrero

Manuel Ortiz Guerrero

- Biography:Guerrero was born at Ybaroty, a neighborhood in the city of Villarrica del Espíritu Santo, Paraguay. He was the son of Vicente Ortiz and Susana Guerrero, who died after giving birth. He was raised by his grandmother, Florencia Ortiz. He realized his first studies in a school in...

listened the guarania India for the first time interpreted by José Asunción Flores, he manifested his admiration for the piece, but questioned the lyric saying that it didn't had the same transcendence of the song, and offered to compose a better lyric. Flores conversed it with Rigoberto Fontao Meza, and he agreed supposing that his friend wouldn't allow the change, but Flores changed the lyric with the one from Manuel Ortiz Guerrero, and it became the version of India known nowadays, declared in 1944 by law of the Executive State as "Official Paraguayan Music" along with "Campamento Cerro León" and "Cerro Corá".

"Fontao Meza never forgot that attitude of mine. He took those hard feelings to his grave.“ says Flores in his memories.

Work

Numerous are the lyrics from this poet that confirms him as a great author. His contribution to the folcloric song-book are songs like:

• Mba'épa Nerohasê.
• Mutilados de guerra.
• El Arriero.
• Arribeño Resay.
• Ka'a Poty.
• Che resay.
• Nde Clavelkuemi.
• Poniente Ruguaicha.
• Congoja.
• Nda vy'airamoguare.
• Guerra tiempope guare'e.

Also theatrical plays and a poem book that will last forever in the memory of those who enjoyed this beautiful pieces.

INDIA

Un rey fabuloso, poeta y pintor,

que huyó cansado del trono real

llevó por el mundo su hondo dolor

en vano buscando un ideal

II

Indiscreta morena

que una noche naciera

de tristeza y penar.

Y una noche quisiera

de la selva olorosa su

perfume arrojar

Tupàsy Ka´aguy

nde rete mbokaja,

nde juru yvoty,

nde resa angaipa

III

Tras un largo de deambular por la sombra

sin ningun compañero de sueño cruel

forjo de su sueños toda la armonia

su cuerpo divino indiscreta, fiel.

Tupàsy ka´aguy

Nde juru eirete,

Nde resa pyhare,

Ne ma´è ñasaindy.

LYRICS: Rigoberto Fontao Meza
SCORE: José Asunción Flores

Ka`aty

Amo mombyry cerromi kupépe

ka`aguy mbytépe che valle okañy

sapy`amiràicha ka`aty pe aju

apyta ko`àicha ku techagaù

II

Tras de aquellos montes, arroyos y cerros

Yo imito vente al urutaú

y mi lindo pueblo de largo destierro

lleva la nostalgia del mbarakapu

III

Aniveangána che compañero

Ore korasò reikytî`asy

ore aveiko orekuèra entero

ore symimi ha ore valle hovy

IV

Aniveangàna che compañero

ore korasô reikytÎ`asy

anive angana che compañero

ore korasî reikytî`asy

LYRICS: Rigoberto Fontao Meza.
SCORE: José Asunción Flores.