Hugo Blanco (September 25, 1940 – June 14, 2015) was a popular Venezuelan musician. He is best known as the author of "
Moliendo Café
"''Moliendo Café''" ("Grinding Coffee") is a Venezuelan song that has become popular around the world. The song was written in 1958, but the authorship is disputed between Hugo Blanco and his uncle José Manzo Perroni. Blanco's recording in 1961 ...
" and other songs like "
El Burrito Sabanero", "Leche Condensada", "Luces de Caracas", "Sierra Nevada" and "Mañanita Zuliana". "Moliendo Café", written in 1958 when Hugo Blanco was only 18 years old, has become one of the most recognized Venezuelan songs in the world.
Biography
Blanco was born in
Caracas, Venezuela. He purchased his first musical instrument known as a
cuatro
Cuatro is Spanish (and other Romance languages) for the number four.
Cuatro may also refer to:
* Cuatro (instrument), name for two distinct Latin American instruments, one from Puerto Rico (see Cuatro) and the other from Venezuela (see Cuatro) ...
at the age of 15 and learned to play it listening to the radio. Blanco created a new Venezuelan music style ‒ a fusion of
Cuban music
The music of Cuba, including its instruments, performance, and dance, comprises a large set of unique traditions influenced mostly by west African and European (especially Spanish) music. Due to the syncretic nature of most of its genres, Cuban mu ...
and
joropo
The joropo is a musical style resembling the fandango, and an accompanying dance. It originated in Venezuela and is also present in the eastern Colombian plains. It has African, Native South American, and European influences. There are diffe ...
‒ called "the orquídea" in honor of the Venezuelan national flower.
In the 1960s, Blanco composed many popular
gaitas with
Simón Díaz
Simón Narciso Díaz Márquez (August 8, 1928 – February 19, 2014) was a Venezuelan singer and Grammy Award-winning composer of Venezuelan music.
Career
Díaz endeavored to recover the folklore and musical traditions of the '' llanos'', the Ve ...
called ''Gaitas de las Locas''. He also founded what is widely considered to be the first Venezuelan
ska
Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...
group, Las Cuatro Monedas.
In the 1970s, he founded the Venezuelan group Los Hijos De Ña Carmen.
Hugo Blanco's song "La Vecina" was featured in an episode of the popular TV series ''
Miami Vice
''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs, two M ...
''.
"
Moliendo Café
"''Moliendo Café''" ("Grinding Coffee") is a Venezuelan song that has become popular around the world. The song was written in 1958, but the authorship is disputed between Hugo Blanco and his uncle José Manzo Perroni. Blanco's recording in 1961 ...
" has become a popular chant for football fans around the world. The chant is widely known as "Dale Cavese" and has the same tune as the song.
Discography
*''Tropicana'', Fiesta Record Company, New York, FLP 1451/
Polydor
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States ...
(Germany) 1964
*El Nuevo Ritmo Moliendo Cafe
*''El Nuevo Ritmo Orquídea''
*Hugo Blanco
*''1° Premio del Festival Universitario de Música: "La India Tibaire"''
*''Percusión''
*''Balada del Bombardino''
*''Selección Navideña''
*''Me Gusta''
*''Más Ritmo!!''
*''Bailables con Hugo Blanco''
*''Bailables con Hugo Blanco N°2''
*''Bailables con Hugo Blanco N°3 "La Chispita"''
*''Bailables con Hugo Blanco N°4''
*''Bailables con Hugo Blanco N°5''
*''Bailables con Hugo Blanco N°6''
*''Superbailables con Hugo Blanco N°7''
*''Bailables con Hugo Blanco N°8''
*''Bailables con Hugo Blanco N°9: "Agua Fresca"''
*''Bailables con Hugo Blanco N°10''
*''Bailables con Hugo Blanco N°11''
*''Bailables con Hugo Blanco N°12''
*''Bailables con Hugo Blanco N°13''
*''Sierra Nevada''
*''Arpa Brava''
*''La Música de Hugo Blanco''
*''En Trinidad''
*''La Rondallita''
*''Lo Mejor de Hugo Blanco y su Arpa Viajera''
*''La Parranda de Hugo Blanco''
*''De Fiesta...''
*''Tania con Hugo Blanco''
*''El Poder de Hugo Blanco''
*''El Sabor de Hugo Blanco''
*''Los Hijos de Ña Carmen''
*''Arpa Navideña''
*''Festival Tropical''
*''El Rapidito''
With
Simón Díaz
Simón Narciso Díaz Márquez (August 8, 1928 – February 19, 2014) was a Venezuelan singer and Grammy Award-winning composer of Venezuelan music.
Career
Díaz endeavored to recover the folklore and musical traditions of the '' llanos'', the Ve ...
*''Lila + Hugo + Simón''
*''Ya Llegó........Simón''
*''De Parranda con...''
*''Criollo y Sabroso''
*''Gaitas y Parrandas con....''
*''Gaita 70''
*''Gaita 71''
*''En Salsa''
*''La Gaita de las Cuñas''
*''Las Gaitas de Simón''
*''Culpable?''
*''Cuñas, Locas, Borrachitos''
*''Las Gaitas de Simón 5''
*''Las Gaitas de Simón 6''
With Joselo Díaz
*''Las Gaitas de Joselo''
*''Yo, soy el Rey!''
*''Las Gaitas de Joselo "La Gaita del Brujo"''
*''Las Gaitas de Joselo "La Gaita del Barbero"''
*''Las Gaitas de Joselo "La Gaita de Joselito"''
*''Las Gaitas de Joselo "La Gaita del Presidente"''
*''Las Gaitas de Joselo "La Gaita de los Portugueses"''
*''Las Gaitas de Joselo con Danielita''
*''Las Gaitas de Joselo "La Gaita de los Artistas"''
*''Las Gaitas de Joselo "La Gaita Gallega"''
Compilations
*''La Rondallita / El Burrito de Belen''
*''La Historia''
*''Nueva Rondallita''
*''La Historia''
*''Sus Grandes Éxitos''
*''Bailables de Oro''
*''Colección de Éxitos''
*''Colección de Éxitos Vol.2''
*''Colección de Éxitos Vol.3''
*''Colección de Éxitos Vol.4''
*''Colección de Éxitos Vol.5''
*''Colección de Éxitos Vol.6''
*''Colección de Éxitos Vol.7''
*''Colección de Éxitos Vol.8''
*''Colección de Éxitos Vol.9''
*''Colección de Éxitos Vol.10''
*''Colección de Éxitos Vol.11''
*''Colección de Éxitos Vol.12''
*''Colección de Éxitos Vol.13''
*''Colección de Éxitos Vol.14''
*''Colección de Éxitos Vol.15''
*''Lo Mejor de las Mariposas''
*''Caracha Negro'' with Simón Díaz
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blanco, Hugo
1940 births
2015 deaths
Musicians from Caracas
Venezuelan composers
Venezuelan folk harpists
Venezuelan folk musicians
Venezuelan film score composers
Male film score composers