Tito Lara

Last updated
Tito Lara
Birth nameAgustín Enrique Lara Olivencia
BornDecember 23, 1932
Río Piedras, Puerto Rico
DiedJune 23, 1987
Houston, Texas
Genres Bolero
Occupation(s)Singer
InstrumentsGuitar

Tito Lara (December 23, 1932 – June 23, 1987), was considered by many to be Puerto Rico's first television singing idol.

Contents

Early years

Lara (birth name: Agustín Enrique Lara Olivencia was born in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico. Lara was raised by his maternal grandmother and received primary education in Santurce. During his spare time, he taught himself to play the guitar. In 1942, when was only 10 years old, his grandmother realized that her grandson had musical talent and took him to WNEL, the local radio station, where he made his debut. In 1946, Lara enrolled at the Free School of Music in San Juan, where he continued his guitar studies and learned to play the trumpet. [1]

Trío Los Lirios

In 1948, Lara and eleven fellow students created an ensemble with Lara as lead singer. In 1949, Lara formed a trio called Trío Los Lirios which became a regular guest on the WKAQ radio station. They were paid 2 American dollars per appearance.

Recording debut

Lara enrolled at the University of Puerto Rico to study Liberal Arts and joined the university's choir. In 1950, the owner of Mardí Records heard and was impressed by Lara's singing and asked him to form a quartet including a female voice. Lara did so, was signed by Mardí Records and dropped out of college in 1953 to travel with the quartet to New York City. [1]

Lara also went solo in 1953 and scored a hit with a recording of the bolero Sollozo ('Crying'), which he followed up with Orquídeas, a Spanish version of Orchids in the Moonlight by Vincent Youmans. That same year he met and married Nilda María Canino with whom he was to have three children, Agustin Jr., María and José Rafael. He returned to New York and performed at the Paramount Theater where Myrta Silva introduced him as "El Pollo que Canta" ('The Handsome Singer'). [2]

Los Hispanos

In 1955, Lara joined one of Puerto Rico's renowned quartets Los Hispanos and made his television début with them and singers, Ida Claudio, and Sonia Noemí on "El Show Ford", broadcast by Telemundo, the television station owned and operated by Ángel Ramos. His extraordinary vocal range allowed him to replace any of the members of Los Hispanos when one of them was unable to perform. In January 11, 1965, the group began a seven-year participation in the televised part of the Festival Sultana, a show produced by Paquito Cordero. Lara and Los Hispanos travelled and performed in the United States, the Dominican Republic, Panamá, Perú, Venezuela and Chile. [2] Lara enrolled in the Music Conservatory of Puerto Rico and in 1970 earned his Bachelor's degree, specializing in trumpet-playing. He formed a duo with María Esther Ortiz called Los Dos and also founded the Allegro 72 group, which, among others, included Luis Antonio Cosme. Lara performed with Allegro 72 at Carnegie Hall, New York, and at various television stations. Some members of Allegro 72 who went on to gain fame were Lunna, Ángel "Cucco" Peña, Dagmar Rivera and Alyce Gracia. [1]

Later years

Lara began to have problems with his health in 1978, suffering a stroke which was complicated by his diabetes. In 1979, he underwent an open-heart surgery procedure from which he recuperated and shortly after returned to Puerto Rico. There he underwent conversion to Christianity and joined a Protestant church. [2]

After his conversion, he continued singing sacred music almost exclusively, collaborating with singers such as the magnificent mezzo-soprano Maribel Soto, recording with her a Spanish adaptation of Sandi Patty's "More than Wonderful" ("Maravilloso es"); singing in a choir put together by Wisón Torres, Jr. and Leyda E. Colón, founders and directors of the Puerto Rican Christian music group Peregrinos y Extranjeros, for the CD "Buscando aquella ciudad" ("Looking for that city") (Pilgrim Music), and recording two beautiful projects as a soloist. The first one was titled "Él" ("He"); the second one: "Señor Amigo" ("My Lord, my friend"). Most of the lyrics of his sacred songs talked about grace, eternal live, hope, and love for his Lord, Jesus Christ. When visiting churches to sing live or presenting concerts, he always said: "I sing happily because I believe in the words I sing". [ citation needed ] His version in Spanish of the Frankie Laine hit I Believe, titled "Tengo Fe", became his signature song.

He also participated in "Noche de Gala", a musical variety show hosted by T.V. personality Eddie Miró, for the celebration of Easter, singing the famous duet with Maribel Soto. In 1985, Lara participated in the Concierto de Navidad (Christmas Concert) held at the "Luis A. Ferré Center for the Performing Arts" in San Juan. In 1986, he held concerts in the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts and at the Hostos Center of Culture in the Bronx. That year he also recorded his last album, Los Cuatro Ases (The Four Aces). [1]

Personal life

Lara was married to Nilda Maria Canino from 1953 to his death. In addition to his wife, he was survived by his three children. [3]

Discography

External audio
Nuvola apps arts.svg You may listen to Tito Lara's "Si Me Preguntan" on YouTube.

Death

In March 1987, Lara suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized at the West Houston Medical Center in Houston, Texas. He died on June 23, 1987, aged 54, and was laid to rest in Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery in Old San Juan. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

Music of Puerto Rico Music and musical traditions of Puerto Rico

The music of Puerto Rico has evolved as a heterogeneous and dynamic product of diverse cultural resources. The most conspicuous musical sources have been Spain and West Africa, although many aspects of Puerto Rican music reflect origins elsewhere in Europe and the Caribbean. Puerto Rican music culture today comprises a wide and rich variety of genres, ranging from essentially indigenous genres like bomba to recent hybrids like 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, and 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.

Plena Genre of music and dance native to Puerto Rico

La plena is a genre of music and dance native to Puerto Rico.

Wilkins (singer) Puerto Rican singer

Wilkins is a Puerto Rican pop music singer and composer.

Carmen Delia Dipiní, was a Puerto Rican singer of boleros. In 2002, Carmen Delia Dipiní was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.

Lunna is a Puerto Rican singer of popular music and jazz who was the director of the television show Objetivo Fama, the Latin version of American Idol.

Cheo Feliciano Puerto Rican musician

Cheo Feliciano was a Puerto Rican singer and composer of salsa and bolero music. Feliciano was the owner of a recording company called "Coche Records". He was the first tropical singer to perform at the "Amira de la Rosa Theater" in Barranquilla, Colombia, and in 1987 he played the role of Roberto Clemente's father in the musical Clemente.

Tito Rodríguez Puerto Rican singer and bandleader

Pablo Rodríguez Lozada, better known as Tito Rodríguez, was a Puerto Rican singer and bandleader. He started his career singing under the tutelage of his brother, Johnny Rodríguez. In the 1940s, both moved to New York, where Tito worked as a percussionist in several popular rhumba ensembles, before directing his own group to great success during the 1950s. His most prolific years coincided with the peak of the mambo and cha-cha-cha dance craze. He also recorded boleros, sones, guarachas and pachangas.

Paquito Cordero Puerto Rican comedian and television producer

Paquito Cordero, was a pioneer of Puerto Rican television. He was also a comedian and television producer.

Tony Vega is a Puerto Rican salsa singer and bandleader.

Tito Rojas Puerto Rican salsa singer

Julio César Rojas López, better known by his stage name Tito Rojas and also known as "El Gallo Salsero", was a Puerto Rican salsa singer and songwriter.

Raymond Torres-Santos

Raymond Torres-Santos is a composer and conductor, pianist, arranger, and producer of both classical and popular music. He was described as the most versatile Puerto Rican composer active in the 21st century by Malena Kuss in her book, Music in Latin America and the Caribbean: an Encyclopedic History.

Fredesvinda García Valdés, known always as Freddy, was a Cuban female singer of high quality.

Tito Guízar

Federico Arturo Guízar Tolentino was a Mexican born American singer and actor. Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, he performed under the name of Tito Guízar. Together with superstars Dolores del Río, Ramón Novarro and Lupe Vélez, as well as José Mojica, Guízar was among the few Mexican people who made history in the early years of Hollywood.

Yomo Toro Puerto Rican musician

Víctor Guillermo "Yomo" Toro was a Puerto Rican left-handed guitarist and cuatro player. Known internationally as "The King of the Cuatro," Toro recorded over 150 albums throughout a 60-year career and worked extensively with Cuban legends Arsenio Rodríguez and Alfonso "El Panameño" Joseph; salsa artists Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe and Rubén Blades; and artists from other music genres including Frankie Cutlass, Harry Belafonte, Paul Simon, Linda Ronstadt and David Byrne.

Puchi Balseiro Puerto Rican musician

Puchi Balseiro (born Aurea Mercedes Balseiro: November 1, 1926 in Santurce, Puerto Rico – January 11, 2007) was a composer in the filin ("feeling") music genre.

Marta Romero was a Puerto Rican actress and singer, and one of the pioneers in Puerto Rican television.

Miguel Poventud Puerto Rican musician

Miguel Poventud a.k.a. "El Niño Prodigio de Guayama" and "Miguelito", was a Puerto Rican musician, singer, actor and composer of Boleros. Among the singers who have interpreted his musical compositions are Johnny Albino, Héctor Lavoe and Daniel Santos.

Victoria Hernández Puerto Rican businesswoman and music entrepreneur

Victoria Hernández was an Afro-Puerto Rican music entrepreneur. Though a talented musician, she devoted her career to the business aspects of the music industry. In 1927, she opened the first Latin music store in New York City, one of only sixteen businesses owned by Puerto Rican migrant women. She served as an agent to locate music talent for record labels and bandleaders and at one point owned her own record label. After following her brother to Mexico City, Hernández returned to the Bronx and founded Casa de Música, later renamed to Casa Hernández. The music store she founded in 1941, now known as Casa Amadeo, antigua Casa Hernandez has the longest record of continuous operation of any music store in New York City.

Luis Antonio Cosme is a Puerto Rican television cook, actor, singer, musician, writer, producer, reporter and show host. He is mostly known as one of two show hosts and cooks, usually alongside Otilio Warrington, "Bizcocho", of two television cooking shows named "Friendo y Comiendo" and "A Freir y a Comer"

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.