Ignacio Figueredo
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| Ignacio Figueredo | |
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| Born | July 31, 1899 Algarrobito, Apure, Venezuela |
| Died | September 3, 1995 San Fernando de Apure, Apure, Venezuela |
Ignacio Figueredo was born in Algarrobito (Apure State) July 31, 1899, and died in San Fernando de Apure (Apure State) September 3, 1995. He was a Venezuelan folk musician.
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[edit] His early successes
At age 11 he made his first public presentations in San Juan de Payara. In 1914 he began to acquire notoriety by his early compositions, such as El Gabán, a registry of one of the basic forms of the Venezuelan Joropo. The name Gabán refers to the Wood Stork. This composition arose during a long party in the house of Antonio Laya. During those years, he composed his best know works; pieces such as Las Tres Damas ("The 3 Ladies"), Guayabo Negro (the common name in Venezuela for Hamelia axillaris), Verdún, Guachamarón (an old Country expressión meaning "Rudely Daring") and La Periquera (another basic Joropo form, later also called Quirpa). One of his most famous pieces, dedicated to Maria Laya, a lady he met at a party, has been included in the old instruction books for the cuatro and recorded by Figueredo, with singer Ángel Custodio Loyola.
[edit] Triumph in the Capital
In 1935 he married Mercedes Castillo, They had 11 children. In 1949, Fredy Reyna, Reinaldo Espinoza Hernandez and Antonio Estévez, heard him during a presentation in Achaguas, and decided to take him to Caracas where he astonished and captivated the public with his skills in the execution of the harp. From then he began to be called "Indio Figueredo" (i.e. "The Indian Figueredo"). In the 1950s he made numerous presentations in different national stages and radio. Also by this time, Jose taught his art to several musicians in The Caracas Music Academy, among them José Ángel Hurtado, Tomasito Estiel, Amado Lovera and José Enrique "Chelique" Sarabia.
[edit] The performer/the composer
As composer he authored 400 pieces, most of them have been recorded and released. A very successful LP record containing instrumental pieces, was produced by Arturo Serfarty in 1952. Another LP was released in the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the City of Caracas in 1967, featuring 12 of his better known compositions. An album of 2 discs was produced by Oswaldo Lares in 1969 in which several of their children and other musicians take part. In 1970 the film director Luis Armando Roche made a short film about his life. In 1975 the artists Morella Muñoz, Simón Díaz, Magdalena Sánchez and Anselmo López paid a tribute to him in a large concert hall in Caracas, in which Figueredo played his more important pieces. In 1990 the National Commission of the Bicentennial of General Jose Antonio Páez paid recognition to him and his work in an act presided by then-president of Venezuela Luis Herrera Campins. Among the artists who have performed and recorded pieces by Ignacio Figueredo are: Ángel Custodio Loyola, Adilia Castillo, El Carrao de Palmarito, Simón Diaz, Quinteto Cantaclaro, Hugo Blanco, Lilia Vera, Lila Morillo, Juan Galea, El Cuarteto, Cecilia Todd and Anselmo López. Caroní Editores, a publisher of sheet music based in Europe, has recently released a set of books of sheet music, containing several of Figueredo's pieces arranged for the Classical Guitar by Alirio Diaz.
