| Simón Díaz | |
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| Image:Simón Díaz in Boston.jpg Simón Díaz in Boston, 2005
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| Background information | |
| Born | August 8, 1928  Barbacoas, Venezuela |
| Genre(s) | Venezuelan folk music |
| Occupation(s) | musician, singer, composer |
| Years active | 1948 - present |
| Website | http://www.simondiaz.com |
Simón Díaz (born August 8, 1928) is a celebrated singer and composer of Venezuelan music, whose work is regarded as one of the most important legacies for both Venezuelan and Latin American popular music. Events 1220 - Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula. Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Several styles of traditional Venezuelan music, such as salsa and merengue are common to its Caribbean A musician is a person who plays or writes Music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music An instrumentalist plays a A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance Events 1220 - Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula. Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance
Popularity and influence on national and Latin American culture
Simón Díaz is known mainly for his personal crusade aimed at the recovery of the lore and musical traditions of the llanos, the Venezuelan plains. Los Llanos redirect here for the Chilean region see Los Llanos Chile Los Llanos (meaning the flat plains is a vast Tropical grassland Convinced that these conform a unique wealth of wit, wisdom, and musical heritage, he devoted himself resolutely to studying, composing and disseminating them. He succeeded in turning the songs of the Venezuelan plains into an authentic musical genre that, inspired by him, has been performed by such great artists as Argentina’s Mercedes Sosa, Brazil’s Caetano Veloso, Spain’s Joan Manuel Serrat, Peru's Susana Baca, Puerto Rico’s Danny Rivera, and Venezuelans Franco De Vita, Soledad Bravo and José Luis Rodríguez, among others. Mercedes Sosa (born 9 July 1935) is an Argentine singer immensely popular throughout Latin America. Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso (born August 7, 1942) better known as Caetano Veloso, is a Composer, Singer, Guitarist Joan Manuel Serrat i Teresa (born December 27, 1943 in Barcelona) is a Spanish Catalan Singer-songwriter. Susana Baca de la Colina (b Chorrillos, Lima Province, Peru, 1944 is a prominent Peruvian singer of Afro-Peruvian descent Danny Rivera (born February 28, 1945) is a Puerto Rican singer and songwriter who was born in San Juan. Franco De Vita (born January 23, 1954 in Caracas, Venezuela) is a Singer-songwriter popular in Latin music. Soledad Bravo is a Venezuelan singer Soledad Bravo was born in Logroño, Spain in 1943 José Luis Rodríguez "El Puma" (born January 14, 1943 in Caracas) is a Venezuelan singer and actor who has recorded many international Also, renowned conductors and composers of academic music have incorporated Simón Díaz’ songs in their orchestral and choral arrangements, thus signaling the universal nature of this musical genre.
Musicians are not the only ones who have felt attracted to Simón Díaz’ songs. Artists from various disciplines have been inspired by his work. For example, German choreographer Pina Bausch included some of Díaz’ songs in her work “Nur Du. Philippine "Pina" Bausch (born July 27, 1940 in Solingen, Germany) is a Modern dance choreographer and a leading ” Also, the celebrated film director Pedro Almodóvar had the song Tonada de Luna Llena, by Simón Díaz, included in the soundtrack of his film “La Flor de mi Secreto”, sung by the Brazilian artist Caetano Veloso. Pedro Almodóvar Caballero (ˈpeð̞ɾo almoˈð̞oβ̞̞aɾ kaβ̞aˈʝeɾo (born September 24, 1949 in Calzada de Calatrava, Spain) is a Spanish Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso (born August 7, 1942) better known as Caetano Veloso, is a Composer, Singer, Guitarist
Simón Díaz’ passion for songs and drama led him to theater, motion pictures and TV. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. In the 1960’s he became one of the biggest comedians in Venezuela and a symbol of the most genuine expressions of folklore and popular culture. He has had the leading role in 3 plays and 5 films; has produced and hosted 12 different high-ranking TV shows, all of them devised to promote Venezuelan music. One of these shows was devoted to teaching popular culture to children. This show was on the air for 10 years, and from this experience, Díaz became known as “Uncle Simón. ” For 25 years, he had a daily radio show focussed on folklore and Venezuelan music. He has recorded over 70 records and CD’s and has made innumerable performances throughout his career. In 1998, he celebrated “50 Years of Artistic Life.
Simón Díaz has been granted the most important music awards. He was awarded the highest recognition conferred by the Venezuelan state –“The Great Ribbon of the Liberator’s Order”- thus becoming the only Venezuelan artist with such a distinction. He was given honorary doctorate degrees by two major Venezuelan universities, Simón Rodríguez University and Zulia’s Rafael Belloso Chacín University.
He has represented his country in France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Iraq, the United States, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Cuba and Colombia. Simón Díaz is known worldwide as the author of “Caballo Viejo” (also named “Bamboleo” –swinging. Caballo Viejo is a Venezuelan Folk song written and performed by Simón Díaz, which appears on the 1980 album Caballo Viejo ) His compositions have been performed by Plácido Domingo, Ray Conniff, Julio Iglesias, Celia Cruz, Rubén Blades, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Gipsy Kings, Ivan Lins, Joyce, Cheo Feliciano, Juan Gabriel, Maria Dolores Pradera, Martirio, Tania Libertad, Ry Cooder and Devendra Banhart. WikipediaWikiProject Opera#Infoboxes --> José Plácido Domingo Embil KBE (born January 21, 1941) better Joseph Raymond Conniff ( November 06, 1916 - October 12 2002) was an American musician Julio Iglesias (born September 23 1943 in Madrid) is a Spanish singer who has sold over 300 million albums in 14 languages and released 77 albums Celia Cruz ( October 21 1925 – July 16 2003) was a Cuban salsa singer and was one of the most successful Cuban Rubén Blades Bellido de Luna (born July 16, 1948) is a Panamanian salsa Singer, Songwriter, Lawyer, Gilberto Santa Rosa, also known as "El Caballero de la Salsa" (The Gentleman of Salsa (born August 21, 1962) is a Singer of salsa Jose Luis Feliciano Vega, better known as Cheo Feliciano (born July 3, 1935 in Ponce Puerto Rico) is a composer and singer of salsa Early life Born in Paracuaro, Michoacán, he attended boarding school in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, but he left to work as a craftsman Ryland "Ry" Peter Cooder (born 15 March 1947, in Los Angeles, California) is an American Guitarist, Singer, and Devendra Banhart (born May 30 1981) is a Venezuelan - American Folk rock Singer-songwriter and Musician.
Besides being an icon in Venezuela, Díaz is also one of the most popular and universal artists in Latin America. In thinking about the history of popular music in Venezuela and in Latin America, Díaz is both unique and an essential reference. The prestigious latinamerican TV Channel A&E MUNDO has produced a documentary dedicated to Simón Díaz under its acclaimed “Biography” program which began to air on September 2004. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "
The artistic attributes of his family were to some degree also shared by his brother Jose, better known as "Joselo", who had a tenor voice, but instead of pursuing a life in music, dedicated himself to comedy, and had for many years a show named " El show de Joselo " namely Joselo's show, a comedy that ran for many years in one of the most popular TV channels in Venezuela, Venevision.
See also
External links
- Simón Díaz Discography (partial)
- (Spanish) Simón Díaz Biography —Venezuelan cuatro blog
- (Spanish) Learn to play his songs —El cuatro venezolano blog
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