Armando Molero

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Armando Molero

Born	unknown Maracaibo, Zulia, Venezuela
Died	February 5, 1971 Zulia, Venezuela

Armando Molero (born January 20, 1899^[1] or November 22, 1900^[2] —died February 5, 1971) was a Venezuelan singer known as El Cantor de todos los tiempos (Spanish for "The singer of all times"). His exact birth place and date is not known, but is speculated to have been in Puertos de Altagracia, the Moján, the island of Toas, or Quisiro.

Considered Maracaibo's greatest singer,^[1] Molero was attracted to music as a boy and played the guitar, self-taught, with a style worthy of academic study.^[2] Beginning in 1914, he performed serenades, waltzes, and bambucos. His versatility led him to sing on Zuliano radio stations at the end of the 1920s, becoming one of the first singers of the radio station La Voz del Lago (Spanish for "The voice of the Lake", representing his home of Lake Maracaibo). In the 1930s, he traveled to the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, and worked as a singer for Broadcasting Caracas y Radiodifusora Venezuela, becoming known for songs such as La Suegra, Una flor and Las Charreteras de mi capitán. On his return to Zulia, he worked as a singer on several radio stations, including Ondas del Lago and Radio Catatumbo.^[2]

Molero married Doña Josefina del Rosario Leal, a native of the El Empredao district, whom he had met during his rise as an artist.^[2]

Housewives knew it was lunch time when, at noon, they heard Don Armando Molero on the radio, with songs such as El cocotero, La suegra, Maracaibo Florido, El Moñongo, Los pescados, Con el sombrero, El Beodo, Al Son de mi ira, Josefina, El Lázaro, El limonero, Una tarde, and Hoy día de tú cumpleaños.

In 1965, Molero was recognized by the Círculo de Cronistas de la Radio y la Televisión (Circle of Radio and Television Broadcasters) for his contribution to Zulian music.^[2]