Eduardo Serrano
Encyclopedia
Eduardo Valentín Serrano Torres (Caracas
, February 14, 1911 - Caracas
, October 13, 2008), was a Venezuela
n popular musician
, conductor
and composer
.
basics at the Escuela de Música y Declamación de Santa Capilla; (today "The José Ángel Lamas
Conservatory"). Although his beginnings were bound to popular music, his vocation as composer also took him to write Christmas songs, waltzes and film music. His most enduring works are in an old form called "Merengue Venezolano" or "Venezuelan merengue
", which was the dance rage in Caracas during the first half of the 20th century, but is not the same form as the Dominican dance
of the same name. His song Esperanza was part of the soundtrack of the Venezuela
n-Argentinan co-produced film La Balandra Isabel Llegó esta tarde (1949). His first composition was a pasodoble
titled Guitarra Mía. He stood out as a composer in the early 1930s with pieces like Barlovento
, Frente al mar, Tardes de Naiguatá and Campesina, among others. "The 1940s were my golden years as a composer" he said once. During those years, worked as drummer
at the orchestra of the Broadcasting Caracas, and conducted the orchestras of many Broadcastings of Caracas. Eduardo Serrano was one of the first professional creators of incidental music for the national cinema
. In addition, he has had an important influence in Venezuelan popular music, and is one of his more respected figures. He obtained the National Music Prize in 1988.
Eduardo Serrano died on October 13, 2008, at the age of 97.
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, February 14, 1911 - Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, October 13, 2008), was a Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n popular musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Biography
Serrano studied Music Theory and violinViolin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
basics at the Escuela de Música y Declamación de Santa Capilla; (today "The José Ángel Lamas
José Ángel Lamas
José Ángel Lamas was a Venezuelan classical musician and composer born in Caracas. He was the main representative of the classical period in Venezuela....
Conservatory"). Although his beginnings were bound to popular music, his vocation as composer also took him to write Christmas songs, waltzes and film music. His most enduring works are in an old form called "Merengue Venezolano" or "Venezuelan merengue
Venezuelan merengue
The word merengue designates a musical form extended through all the Caribbean. The first occurrences of merengue in print in Venezuela are from scores of “dance merengue” of the second-half of the 19th century . As a dance craze, merengue acquired popularity in Caracas during the 1920s. It is...
", which was the dance rage in Caracas during the first half of the 20th century, but is not the same form as the Dominican dance
Merengue (dance)
Merengue El camino1ro de Secundaria-In popular culture:* Merengue was mentioned as a song performed between Babs and Charlie in the song by Steely Dan....
of the same name. His song Esperanza was part of the soundtrack of the Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n-Argentinan co-produced film La Balandra Isabel Llegó esta tarde (1949). His first composition was a pasodoble
Pasodoble
Pasodoble is a typical dance from Spain march-like musical style as well as the corresponding dance style danced by a couple. It is the type of music typically played in bullfights during the bullfighters' entrance to the ring or during the passes just before the kill...
titled Guitarra Mía. He stood out as a composer in the early 1930s with pieces like Barlovento
Barlovento (song)
Barlovento is a well-known Venezuelan song, that was composed in 1936 by Eduardo Serrano, like anecdotal data, Serrano explains that his composition was made without knowing this region of the Miranda state in Venezuela.-Barlovento Lyrics:...
, Frente al mar, Tardes de Naiguatá and Campesina, among others. "The 1940s were my golden years as a composer" he said once. During those years, worked as drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
at the orchestra of the Broadcasting Caracas, and conducted the orchestras of many Broadcastings of Caracas. Eduardo Serrano was one of the first professional creators of incidental music for the national cinema
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
. In addition, he has had an important influence in Venezuelan popular music, and is one of his more respected figures. He obtained the National Music Prize in 1988.
Eduardo Serrano died on October 13, 2008, at the age of 97.