Rafael Hernández Marín (October 24, 1892 – December 11, 1965) was a Puerto Rican songwriter, author of hundreds of popular songs in the Latin American repertoire. He specialized in Puerto Rican styles such as the

canción ''Canción'' ("song") is a popular genre of Latin American music, particularly in Cuba, where many of the compositions originate.Orovio, Helio 2004. ''Cuban music from A to Z''. p42 Its roots lie in Spanish popular song forms, including tiranas, ...

bolero Bolero is a genre of song which originated in eastern Cuba in the late 19th century as part of the trova tradition. Unrelated to the older Spanish dance of the same name, bolero is characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. It has ...

and guaracha. Among his most famous compositions are " Lamento Borincano", "Capullito de alhelí", "Campanitas de cristal", "Cachita", " Silencio", "El cumbanchero", "Ausencia" and "Perfume de gardenias".

Career

Early years

Rafael Hernández Marín was born in the town of

Aguadilla, Puerto Rico Aguadilla (, ), founded in 1775 by Luis de Córdova, is a city and municipality located in the northwestern tip of Puerto Rico, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, north of Aguada, and Moca and west of Isabela. Aguadilla is s ...

, into a poor family, on October 24, 1892. His parents were María Hernández Marín and Miguel Angel Rosa, though he was given only his mother's surname. As a child, he learned the craft of

cigar A cigar is a rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco leaves made to be smoked. Cigars are produced in a variety of sizes and shapes. Since the 20th century, almost all cigars are made of three distinct components: the filler, the binder l ...

making, from which he made a modest living. He also grew to love music and asked his parents to permit him to become a full-time music student. When he was 12 years old, Hernández studied music in

San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to: Places Argentina * San Juan Province, Argentina * San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province * San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province * San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...

, under the guidance of music professors Jose Ruellan Lequenica and Jesús Figueroa. He learned to play many musical instruments, among them the

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitch ...

tuba The tuba (; ) is the lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece. It first appeared in the mid-19th century, making it one of the ne ...

violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

, and

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...

.Rafael Hernandez Puerto Rico's Soul
/ref> At the age of 14, he played for the Cocolia Orquestra. Hernández moved to San Juan where he played for the municipal orchestra under the director

Manuel Tizol Manuel may refer to: People * Manuel (name) Manuel is a male given name originating in the Hebrew name Immanu'el (, which means "God with us." It was possibly brought from the Byzantine Empire (as ) to Spain and Portugal, where it has been u ...

. In 1913, Hernández begot his first child, Antonio Hernández (out of wedlock), to Ana Bone.

World War I and the Orchestra Europe

In 1917, Hernández was working as a musician in

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

, when the United States entered World War I. The

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

bandleader James Reese Europe recruited brothers Rafael and Jesús Hernández, and 16 more Puerto Ricans to join the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

's Harlem Hell fighters musical band, the Orchestra Europe. He enlisted and was assigned to the U.S. 369th Infantry Regiment (formerly known as the 15th Infantry Regiment, New York National Guard, created in New York City June 2, 1913). The regiment, nicknamed "The Harlem Hell Fighters" by the Germans, served in France. Hernández toured Europe with the Orchestra Europe. The 369th was awarded the French

Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...

for battlefield gallantry by the President of France.- The Great Slsa Timeline
/ref>

Hernandez and Pedro Flores

After the war, Hernández moved to New York City. In the 1920s, he started writing songs and organized a trio called " Trio Borincano". In 1926, fellow Puerto Rican, Pedro Flores who was a composer, joined the Trio. Even though Hernández and Flores became and always remained good friends, they soon went their separate ways and artistically competed against each other. After the trio broke up, he formed a quartet called "Cuarteto Victoria" which included singer

Myrta Silva Myrta Silva (September 11, 1927 – December 2, 1987) was a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter and television producer who was known affectionately as "La Gorda de Oro". She rose to fame in 1949 as the lead vocalist for the Cuban ensemble Sonora ...

, also known as ''La Guarachera'' and ''La Gorda de Oro''. With both groups, Hernández traveled and played his music all over the United States and Latin America.Hernandez Marin, Rafael
/ref> On September 2, 1927, Hernández' sister

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

opened Casa Hernandez, a music store which also acted as a booking agency and base of operations for her brother. In 1929, Trío Borinquen recorded ''Linda Quisqueya'' (originally titled ''Linda Borinquen'') and that same year he founded the "Cuarteto Victoria" (also known as "El Cuarteto Rico") named after his sister. In 1932, Hernández moved to Mexico. There, he directed an orchestra and enrolled in Mexico's National Music Conservatory to further enrich his musical knowledge. Hernández also became an actor and organized musical scores in Mexico's "golden age" of movies. His wife (and eventual widow) is Mexican.

"Lamento borincano" and "Preciosa"

In 1937, Hernández wrote " Lamento Borincano". That same year, he also wrote " Preciosa". In 1947, Hernández returned to Puerto Rico and became the director of the orchestra at the government-owned WIPR Radio. Hernandez also composed

Christmas music Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or, in the case of carols or songs, may employ lyrics whose subject ...

, Danzas, Zarzuelas, Guarachas, Lullabies, Boleros,

Waltz The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position. History There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the wa ...

es and more. Hernández's works' include "Ahora seremos felices" (Now We Will Be Happy), "Campanitas de cristal" (Crystal Bells), "Capullito de Alhelí", "Culpable" (Guilty), "El Cumbanchero" (also known as ''"Rockfort Rock"'' or ''"Comanchero" (sic)'' to

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

aficionados), "Ese soy yo" (That's Me), "Perfume de Gardenias" (Gardenia's Perfume), " Silencio" (Silence), and "Tú no comprendes" (You Don't Understand), among 3,000 others. Many of his compositions were strongly based on Cuban musical idioms, such as the guaracha's " Cachita" and "Buchipluma na' ma'", which were often mistaken as songs by Cuban authors. His music became an important part of Puerto Rican culture.History of Puerto Rico
/ref>

Later years and death

Hernández was Honorary President of the Authors and Composers Association. He was also the founder of little league

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

in Puerto Rico. President John F. Kennedy christened him "Mr. Cumbanchero". Hernández died in San Juan on December 11, 1965, shortly after Banco Popular de Puerto Rico produced a TV special in his honor in which he addressed the people for the last time. The special was simulcast on all TV and most island radio stations. The TV special was rebroadcast on May 13, 2007. Rafael Hernández's remains are buried in the

Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery __NOTOC__ The 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 ...

of Old San Juan.

Legacy

Puerto Rico has honored his memory by naming public buildings, avenues and schools after him. The airport in Aguadilla is named Rafael Hernández Airport. There are schools in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, and in

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat, seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County and the second largest city within the New Yo ...

named after Rafael Hernández. Renowned Puerto Rican sculptor

Tomás Batista Tomás Batista (born December 7, 1935) is a Puerto Rican sculptor. He is the creator of some of Puerto Rico's most notable monuments. Early years Batista (birth name: Tomás Batista Encarnación) was born and raised in Luquillo, Puerto Rico, a ...

created a statue of Hernández which is in the municipality of

Bayamón, Puerto Rico Bayamón (, ) is a city, municipality of Puerto Rico and suburb of San Juan located in the northern coastal valley, north of Aguas Buenas and Comerío; south of Toa Baja and Cataño; west of Guaynabo; and east of Toa Alta and Naranjito. ...

. The

Interamerican University of Puerto Rico The Inter American University of Puerto Rico (Spanish: ''Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico''; often abbreviated to ''UIPR'' or ''Inter'') is a private Christian university with its main campus in San Germán, Puerto Rico. It also has c ...

, the repository of his works, operates a small museum in his honor at its Metropolitan Campus in San Juan which is directed by his son, Alejandro (Chalí) Hernández. The

Hernandez Houses Rafael Hernandez Houses, also known as Hernandez Houses, is a public housing development built and maintained by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Development The development is a single 17-s ...

housing complex in New York City is named after Rafael Hernández. At the behest former senator

Lucy Arce Luz Z. "Lucy" Arce Ferrer is a Puerto Rican politician. She is currently serving as a member of the Senate of Puerto Rico since 1996. Early years and studies Lucy Arce was born in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. She completed her bachelor's degree ...

, the

Senate of Puerto Rico The Senate of Puerto Rico ( es, Senado de Puerto Rico) is the upper house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. The Senate, together with the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico, contro ...

, under the first term of

Thomas Rivera Schatz Thomas Rivera Schatz (born June 10, 1966) is a Puerto Rican politician, legal advisor, attorney, and former prosecutor, who was the fourteenth and sixteenth President of the Senate of Puerto Rico. He is affiliated with New Progressive Party o ...

built the Rafael Hernández Plaza with a bigger-than-lifesize statue of the composer, and a statue of a Puerto Rican jíbaro riding a horse honoring his Lamento Borincano. The park is located at the easternmost tip of San Juan's Paseo de la Covadonga. Puerto Rican singer

Marc Anthony Marco Antonio Muñiz Rivera (born September 16, 1968), known professionally as Marc Anthony, is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. A three-time Grammy Award and six-time Latin Gr ...

recorded Hernández's "Preciosa" and sang the song in a 2005 concert in New York City's

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylv ...

. According to an article in the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'': In 1969, Puerto Rican actor Orlando Rodriguez played Hernandez in the bio-pic '' El Jibarito Rafael'', which was directed by the Mexican actor

Julián Soler Julián Soler (born Julián Díaz Pavia; 17 February 1907 – 5 May 1977) was a Mexican film director, actor, and screenwriter of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. In his career spanning half a century, Soler received two Ariel Award nominations ...

. In 1999, Hernández was posthumously inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame. On March 23, 2001, Casa Hernandez, the music store which served as Hernandez's booking agency and base of operations, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places, reference #01000244, as "Casa Amadeo, antigua Casa Hernandez". ''See also:''

Military decorations and awards

Among Hernández's military decorations are the following: * Ruban de la Croix de guerre 1914-1918

French Croix de guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first aw ...

World War I Victory Medal

References

External links

DVD La Musica de Rafael Hernandez (BPPR 1965)Legran Orchestra ''"El Cumbanchero"'' Salsa Mp3·
ISWC T-0425394622
Rafael Hernández recordings
at the

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The DAHR provides some of these original recordings, free of charge, via audio streaming, along with ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Hernandez Marin, Rafael 1892 births 1965 deaths Burials at Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery 20th-century Puerto Rican musicians Puerto Rican composers Puerto Rican male composers Puerto Rican Army personnel United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army soldiers People from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France) Guaracha songwriters 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians