Valentín Trujillo Sánchez (born May 2, 1933), also known as "Maestro Valentín" or "Tío Valentín", is a Chilean pianist and arranger of popular music. He is known for his participation in television programs, including "

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Early years

Trujillo was born in

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in 1933. His father was a miner and his mother a teacher. His older brother, Fernando Trujillo, was a popular singer of boleros, rancheras, and corridos. Trujillo began to play piano at age three. He entered the Conservatorio Nacional de Música at age seven and continued to study there until 1952. In 2004, he recorded the album ''Jazz de Salón'' with Cristián Cuturrufo. Three years later, he recorded the album ''Un año más'' with

Ángel Parra Trío Ángel Parra Trío is a Chilean jazz band led by guitarist and composer Ángel Parra Jr. and created in 1989. History Ángel Parra Trío consolidated itself as the first substantive project in the renovation of the Chilean jazz scene once ...

Musical career

Trujillo released his first solo album, ''Un piano con alma'', in 1958. In 1960, he received the award for "Best Accompanying Orchestra Director". In 1962, he was hired as the conductor of the television program, "

" on Canal 13. He continued in that role until the program was suspended in 1974 by the military dictatorship. The program was then renewed on an international basis, and Trujillo moved to

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where the production resumed. He also participated in the television program, " El Mundo del Profesor Rossa" for several years until 1998. In 2013, a biography of Trujillo, ''Valentín Trujillo: Una vida en la música'', was written by Darío Oses.

Politics

He has been affiliated with left politics for his entire life. He participated in the album ''X la CUT'' in 1968, published by the Juventudes Comunistas, and was a leader of the musicians' union. In March 2017, he signed for the Communist Party of Chile.

Awards and honors

Trujillo won the

Viña del Mar International Song Festival The Viña del Mar International Song Festival () is an annual international music festival held every third week of February in Viña del Mar, Chile. Started in 1960 it is the oldest and largest music festival in Latin America, and one of the long ...

on several occasions. He has also received honors from the Sociedad de Críticos de Miami in 1992 and from the Chilean government in 2000 for career achievement. In 2010, he was honored at the Viña del Mar Festival with three prizes, a silver torch, a gold torch, and a gold seagull. In May 2016, he was named illustrious son of the city of Santiago. In September 2024 receives the National Prize for Musical Arts.

Discography

Studio albums

* ''Un piano con alma'' (1958,

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) * ''Ritmos veraniegos'' (1960, EMI Odeon) * ''Sáquela a bailar'' (1964, EMI Odeon) * ''Bailando sencillito'' (1969, EMI Odeon) * ''Valentín Trujillo'' (1990,

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) * ''Sí... soy chileno'' (2001) * ''Jazz de salón'' (2004) * ''Villancicos'' (2005, Perseguidor Records) * ''Valentín y Pedro Amat Trujillo'' (2006, Oveja Negra) * ''Un año más'' (2007) * ''Íntimo'' (2011 - Edición independiente) * ''Desde el alma'' (2012 - Oveja Negra) * ''90... y qué'' (2015 - Edición independiente) * ''Piel de América vol. 1'' (2015 - Edición independiente) * ''Valentín Trujillo & Consuelo Schuster'' (2015 - Edición independiente)

Live and EP

* ''Piano y ritmo EP'' (1956, EMI Odeon) * ''Al piano'' (2004, Sello Azul)

Collaborations

* ''X la CUT'' (1968, Dicap) * ''Aprender es compartir'' (2009 - Edición independiente) * ''Otra cosa es con guitarra'' (2011 - Chancho en Piedra)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trujillo, Valentín 1933 births Living people Chilean male musicians Chilean jazz musicians Chilean pianists Male pianists Communist Party of Chile politicians