Rafael Hernández Marín
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Rafael Hernández Marín (October 24, 1892 – December 11, 1965), is considered by many to be the greatest composer of Puerto Rican music.
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[edit] Early years
Hernández was born in the town of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, into a poor family. As a child, he learned the craft of cigar making, from which he made a modest living. He also grew to love music and asked his parents to permit him to become a full-time music student. When he was 12 years old, Hernández studied music in San Juan, under the guidance of music professors Jose Ruellan Lequenica and Jesús Figueroa. He learned to play many musical instruments, among them the clarinet, tuba, violin, piano and guitar. However, according to many Puerto Rican music historians, it was when he learned how to write music that his life and the history of Puerto Rican music would change forever. [1] At the age of 14, he played for the Cocolia Orquestra. Hernández moved to San Juan where he played for the municipal orchestra under the director Manuel Tizol.
[edit] World War I and the Orchestra Europe
In 1917, Rafael Hernández was working as a musician in North Carolina, when the U.S. entered World War I. He enlisted in the Army and was assigned to the 396th Infantry Regiment of Puerto Rico which was created in New York. The regiment, also known as "The Harlem Hell fighters" by the Germans, served in France. There, he toured Europe with the Orchestra Europe. The 396th was awarded French Croix de Guerre for battlefield gallantry by the President of France. [2]
[edit] Hernandez and Pedro Flores
After the war, Hernández moved to New York City. In the 1920s, he started writing songs and organized a trio called "Trio Borincano". In 1926, fellow Puerto Rican Pedro Flores joined the Trio. Even though Hernández and Flores became and always remained good friends, they soon went their separate ways and artistically competed against each other. After the trio broke up, he formed a quartet called "Cuarteto Victoria" which included singer Myrta Silva, also known as La Guarachera and La Gorda de Oro. With both groups, Hernández traveled and played his music all over the United States and Latin America.[3]
In 1932, Hernández moved to Mexico, where the Mexicans treated him as one of their own. There, he directed an orchesta and enrolled in Mexico's National Music Conservatory to further enrich his musical knowledge. Hernández also became an actor and organized many of the musical scores in Mexico's "golden age" of movies. The Mexicans of the state of Puebla consider his composition "Qué Chula es Puebla" to be their unofficial anthem. His wife (and eventual widow) was Mexican. [4]
[edit] "Lamento borincano" and "Preciosa"
In 1937, Hernández wrote one of his greatest works, "Lamento borincano". That same year, he also wrote what is considered by many to be his masterpiece, "Preciosa". In 1947, Hernández returned to Puerto Rico and became the director of the Puerto Rican Symphony Orquestra. He was also a musical advisor to the government-owned WIPR Radio.[3]
Rafael Hernandez's talent went beyond composing only patriotic music. He also composed Christmas music, Danzas, Zarzuelas, Guarachas, Lullabies, Boleros, Waltzes and etcetera. Many people in the Dominican Republic consider his composition "Linda quisqueya" their second national anthem. [3]
Hernández's works' include "Ahora somos felices" (Now We Are Happy), "Campanitas de cristal" (Crystal Bells), "Capullito de alhelí", "Culpable" (Guilty), "El cumbanchero", "Ese soy yo" (That's Me), "Perfume de gardenias", "Silencio", and "Tú no comprendes" (You Don't Understand), among 3,000 others. His music became an important part of the Puerto Rican Culture.[4]
[edit] Legacy
Hernández was Honorary President of the Authors and Composers Association. He was also the founder of little league baseball in Puerto Rico. President John F. Kennedy christened him "Mr. Cumbanchero".[1]
Rafael Hernández died in San Juan on December 11, 1965, shortly after Banco Popular de Puerto Rico produced a TV special in his honor in which he addressed the people for the last time. The special was simulcast on all TV and most island radio stations. The TV special was rebroadcasted on May 13, 2007. Rafael Hernández's remains are buried in the Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery of Old San Juan. Puerto Rico has honored his memory by naming public buildings, avenues and schools after him. The airport in Aguadilla is named Rafael Hernández Airport. There are schools in Boston, Mass. and in Newark, N.J. named after Rafael Hernández. Renowned Puerto Rican Sculptor Tomas Batista created a statue of Hernández which is in the municipality of Bayamon, Puerto Rico. The Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, the repository of his works, operates a small museum in his honor at its Metropolitan Campus in San Juan which is directed by his son, Chalí Hernández. The impact of Hernandez's songs among Puerto Ricans was felt when Puerto Rican singer Marc Anthony recorded Hernández's "Preciosa" and sang said song in a 2005 concert in New York City's Madison Square Garden. According to an article in the New York Times:
"Mr. Anthony did his version of "Preciosa." It may have been the night's most popular love song, precisely because it's not about a woman: it's about a whole island, instead"[5]
[edit] Military decorations and awards
Among Hernández's military decorations are the following:
[edit] Lamento Borincano and Preciosa audio
You may listen to Rafael Hernandez' "Lamento Borincano" Here, and to "Preciosa" Here.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Rafael hernandez Puerto Rico's Soul
- ^ Antillana - Rafael Hernandez
- ^ a b c http://www.musicofpuertorico.com/index.php/artists/rafael_hernandez/ Hernandez Marin, Rafael]
- ^ a b History of Puerto Rico]
- ^ New York Times; Latin Singers Who Offer 3 Varieties of Heartthrob; By Klefa Sanneh; Published: September 12, 2005
