Salvador de Jesús Cardenal Barquero (Managua, Nicaragua, October 6, 1960 - March 8, 2010) was a Nicaraguan singer-songwriter and was one of the most renowned songwriters in Nicaragua and Central America, also a poet, painter and ecologist. Father of two children, Salvador Joaquín & Guillermo Nicolas.

Early life

Salvador Cardenal was the second born of Leyla María Barquero and Salvador Cardenal Vargas, in a family of five children. His niece Nina and nephew Sebastian, are also musicians. He spent most of his childhood in Managua, Nicaragua, where he studied in the

Colegio Centro América The Colegio Centro América is a private Catholic school located in Managua, Nicaragua. Founded by the Jesuits in the city of Granada in 1916, the school serves as an elementary, middle, and high school. The school quickly became the preferred ...

. When he was 17 he started playing the guitar he got as a present during his years studying to be a Jesuit Novice in Panamá. He left the convent for music and went back to Nicaragua during the

Nicaraguan Revolution The Nicaraguan Revolution ( es, Revolución Nicaragüense or Revolución Popular Sandinista, link=no) encompassed the rising opposition to the Somoza dictatorship in the 1960s and 1970s, the campaign led by the Sandinista National Liberation Fr ...

Artistic career

In 1980, Salvador formed the Duo Guardabarranco with his sister, Katia Cardenal. Their music expressed the love for nature, freedom and justice. They toured over 30 countries in folk and political festivals. They published ten LP's during their years together, which became very successful and influential in their homeland. In 1990 they won second place in the OTI festival of 1990, with their song "Dame tu Corazón". He also published two albums as a soloist, one which was live. Later in his career, he would tour Nicaragua with ecological concerts. During his lifetime Salvador Cardenal also dedicated much time to

painting Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ...

. He would mainly paint portraits of bodies, angels, butterflies and

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

, in vivid and distinct colours. In November 2009, a benefit for Cardenal was held that included notable Nicaraguan singers including

Carlos Mejía Godoy Carlos Mejía Godoy (born June 27, 1943) is a Nicaraguan musician (accordion), composer and singer. He was born in Somoto, Madriz. Son of Carlos Mejía Fajardo and María Elsa Godoy, his brother Luis Enrique Mejía Godoy, three years younger than ...

and Norma Helena Gadea.

Final years

Salvador Cardenal died March 8, 2010, in the military hospital "Alejandro Dávila Bolaños" after being constantly hospitalized suffering from a rare disease called

Cryoglobulinemia Cryoglobulinemia is a medical condition in which the blood contains large amounts of pathological cold sensitive antibodies called cryoglobulins – proteins (mostly immunoglobulins themselves) that become insoluble at reduced temperatures. T ...

. According to a 2009 news article, when he was diagnosed with Cryoglobulinemia, he was only given up to 10 years of life (he was in his ninth at the time of his death). He was survived by his family including his two sons Salvador and Guillermo.

Recognitions and legacy

In December 2009, he was honored with "la Orden Cultural Salvador Cardenal" by the City Council of Managua, an award named after Cardenal's grandfather Salvador Cardenal Argüello and awarded to distinguishable musicians. In May 2010, during

Europe Day Europe Day is a day celebrating "peace and unity in Europe" celebrated on 5 May by the Council of Europe and on 9 May by the European Union. The first recognition of Europe Day was by the Council of Europe, introduced in 1964. The European Un ...

, the Nicaraguan representative for the European Union of Central America and Panama, Mendel Golstein, gave a tribute to Cardenal and featured a collaboration of the works by French artist

Jean Marc Calvet Jean Marc Calvet (born March 23, 1965) is a French artist living in Granada, Nicaragua. Calvet was one of six winners of the VII Biennale of Nicaraguan Arts in 2009 selected to represent Nicaragua at the Biennale of Central America in Panama in 2010 ...

and Cardenal. In December 2011, a museum about Cardenal was nearly completed and was officially opened on March 8, 2012, the second anniversary of his death. In 2011, the city of Managua held a festival in his memory.

References

External links

Duo Guardabarranco official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cardenal, Salvador 1960 births 2010 deaths People from Managua 20th-century Nicaraguan male singers People educated at Colegio Centro América