Selection of Danza's by Escudero
| External audio | |
|---|---|
 You may listen to Luciano Quiñones piano interpretation of Escudero's "Añoranzas" here |
The following is a list of some of Escudero's Danza's: [4]
- Añoranza
- Caricias
- Carta a Morel
Rafi Escudero | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Rafael A. Escudero Miranda |
| Born | December 30, 1945 San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Genres | Danza, Ballad, Salsa, Seis Junqueño |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, Singer, Composer, Poet, Producer, Sub-Director Federal Immigration Services and a Political Activist. |
| Instrument(s) | Piano, Violin and Güiro |
Rafi Escudero (born December 30, 1945) is a Puerto Rican musician, singer, composer, poet and political activist.
Escudero was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico the capital city of the island. His parents were well aware that their son was musically inclined at a young age. They also stressed that their son receive a good education and sent him to study in private schools. They wanted their son to learn about classical music and contracted the services of violin teacher Eduardo Geigel to teach Escudero how to play the violin. When Escudero wasn't in school or taking violin classes, he would spend hours on the family piano until he finally taught himself how to play. He perfected his piano playing by taking piano lessons from the maestro Pedro Escabi. [1]
During the 1960s, he enrolled in the University of Puerto Rico where he studied humanities. As a student in the university, he was exposed to the works of some of Puerto Rico's greatest poets: Gustavo Pales Matos (who was his friend and mentor), Antonio Machado, Julia de Burgos and Juan Antonio Corretjer. The works of these poets greatly influenced Escudero and where to serve as the basis for his inspiration.
Escudero debuted as a composer with the recording modernized versions of classical danzas. "Lo que yo quiero ser", originally recorded by Pijuan's Sextet and interpreted by Anibal Hernandez, became a national hit contributing to what has been labeled as the renaissance of the Danza. Danny Rivera, recognized as Puerto Rico's "national voice", recorded "Añoranzas", "Carta a Juan Morel " and "Caricias". The recordings were a success and Escudero received the acceptance and recognition from the public and fellow musicians alike. [2]
During the 1970s, Escudero composed many songs that were recorded by the following singers, Danny Rivera, Marco Antonio Muñiz, Jose Feliciano, Cheo Feliciano, Ismael Miranda and many others. Escudero recorded 'Sin tu Amor" (Without your Love), "Cuando el amor germina", "Repica ese guiro y canta" and "Pa' cortase las venas". He also participated with dozens of Latin American singers in the recording of "Somos el Projimo" (We're your neighbor) which was the Latin-American version of "We Are The World". [2] Escudero, appeared in the film "Under Suspicion" starring Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman as a Ballroom musician and performed on the song "Party Man" written by Miguel Zayas. [3]
| External audio | |
|---|---|
| You may listen to Luciano Quiñones piano interpretation of Escudero's "Añoranzas" here |
The following is a list of some of Escudero's Danza's: [4]
Escudero has written two books of poetry and poetic prose. The first book was titled "En un Mundo de Cuerdos", published by the Puerto Rican Institute of Culture the second book "Comentario desde el Soberao". In 1999, he recorded "Comentario desde el Soberao" where he musically references the situations and characters in his book. This was the first time that a poet/musician combined his writings and music together in a multi-media presentation. [5]
Among the many awards and recognitions bestowed upon Escudero are the following, The Agüeybaná de Oro for composer of the year 1981 and the Outstanding Singer Award in the Record Festivals from 1983 to 1985. Escudero was also exalted into the Puerto Rico Music Hall of Fame on May 12, 2018. [6]
In 1998, Escudero was named by Puerto Rico's governor Pedro Rosselló to join the board of directors of the Puerto Rican Institute of Culture and of the Luis A. Ferre Center for the Performing Arts (Centro de Bellas Arts). In 2001, he ran for the position of president of the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico, however he withdrew from the race. Escudero currently remains politically active in the party. [7]
The Music of Puerto Rico has evolved as a heterogeneous and dynamic product of diverse cultural resources. The most conspicuous musical sources of Puerto Rico have primarily included African, Indigenous, and European influences, although many aspects of Puerto Rican music reflect origins elsewhere in the Caribbean. Puerto Rican music culture today comprises a wide and rich variety of genres, ranging from essentially native genres such as bomba, danza, and plena to more recent hybrid genres such as salsa, Latin trap and reggaeton. Broadly conceived, the realm of "Puerto Rican music" should naturally comprise the music culture of the millions of people of Puerto Rican descent who have lived in the United States, especially in New York City. Their music, from salsa to the boleros of Rafael Hernández, cannot be separated from the music culture of Puerto Rico itself.
Héctor Juan Pérez Martínez, better known as Héctor Lavoe, was a Puerto Rican salsa singer. Lavoe is considered to be possibly the best and most important singer and interpreter in the history of salsa music because he helped to establish the popularity of this musical genre in the decades of 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. His personality, style and the qualities of his voice led him to a successful artistic career in the whole field of Latin music and salsa during the 1970s and 1980s. The cleanness and brightness of his voice, coupled with impeccable diction and the ability to sing long and fast phrases with total naturalness, made him one of the favorite singers of the Latin public.
Manuel Gregorio Tavárez Ropero, was Puerto Rico's classical and danza composer. He has been called "The Chopin of America".
Juan Morel Campos, sometimes erroneously spelled Juan Morell Campos, was a Puerto Rican composer, considered by many to be responsible for taking the genre of danza to its highest level. He composed over 550 musical works before he died unexpectedly at age 38.
Julita Ross was a singer of Puerto Rican danzas, also known as "The Great Lady of the Danzas".
Ángel Mislan was a composer of Puerto Rican Danzas.
Arturo Somohano Portela was a musical composer and director of the San Juan Symphony Orchestra, which is now named after him.
Rafael Alers was a musician, composer, bandleader and the first Puerto Rican to compose the music score for a Hollywood feature film.
Narciso Figueroa is considered to be the "Father of the Modern Danzas".
José Enrique Pedreira was a Puerto Rican composer noted for danzas.
Emilio Colón is an American solo cellist, chamber musician, conductor, composer and pedagogue. He is an international artist, concertizing in Canada, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, France, Italy, Germany, Guatemala, Hungary, Japan, Korea, Malta, the Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States.
Arístides Chavier Arévalo was a Puerto Rican pianist, modernism composer, musicologist and music author from Ponce, Puerto Rico.
Eladio Torres, is a Puerto Rican poet, musician, composer and singer. He is the author of "Tú Vives en mi Pensamiento" a Puerto Rican Danza. Versions have been performed and recorded by Marco Antonio Muñíz, Danny Rivera, Ruth Fernández, Cheo Feliciano and Orquesta Filarmónica de Puerto Rico. Torres is a composer of popular musical genres.
Librado Net Pérez (1895-1964) was a Puerto Rican musician, educator and painter from Ponce, Puerto Rico. He was the first director of the Escuela Libre de Música de Ponce, considered the best of Puerto Rico's free Music Schools at the time. He directed the school from the early 1950s and continued until just before he died in 1964.
Antonio Cabán Vale, a.k.a. "El Topo", is a guitarist, singer and composer of Puerto Rican folkloric themes. He is one of the founders of the "new song" movement of the early 1970s. His danza Verde Luz became a popular symbol of national dignity, to the point that it is viewed by many as almost a second national anthem, and has been interpreted by international singers.
The Fiesta Nacional de la Danza, also known as Semana de la Danza Puertorriqueña, is a cultural celebration that takes place every year in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The festival centers on the danza, a musical genre native from the city of Ponce and oftentimes called "Puerto Rico's classical music" with rhythm, tune, and cadence that are similar to the waltz. The celebration lasts a week and takes place in mid-May. It is sponsored by the Ponce Municipal Government and the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture.
Juan Ríos Ovalle (1863–1928) was a Puerto Rican musician and composer of danzas. Among his most popular danzas are: Angelina, La Graciosita, Lluvia de Perlas, Odalisca, and Teresa.
Julio C. Arteaga was a Puerto Rican musician and composer of danzas.
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