| Pancho Prin | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Francisco de Paula Prin Villegas |
| Also known as | Rey del canto Mirandino El Ruiseñor Mirandino |
| Born | April 2, 1930 Cúa, Miranda state, Venezuela |
| Died | February 11, 2003 (aged 72) Caracas, Venezuela |
| Genres | Central Joropo |
| Occupations | musician, singer, composer |
Pancho Prin (born Francisco de Paula Prin Villegas in Cúa, Venezuela on April 2, 1930) was a musician, singer, and composer. Working from a very young age in farms, he demonstrated an aptitude for music and obtained the support of folk singers like Juan Onofre Machillanda and his grandfather Filomeno Echezuría, a recognized harpist.
"The King of the mirandino song", as Pancho Prin was catalogued, made his first recording in 1948, next to the teacher Pablo Hidalgo. Hidalgo accompanied him in many productions, along with musicians like Ricardo Latorre, Juancito Martinez, Gabriel Cirilo Ruiz, Dionisio Bolivar and Valerio Calzadilla. In 1978, he received the Cristóbal Rojas Prize in its first order from the Municipal Council of Cúa.
Pancho Prin performed in countries like the United States, Mexico, Spain, Saudi Arabia and Japan, to which he made his last trip before his death. Prin died in Caracas on February 11, 2003, after a career of more than fifty years during which he recorded 59 albums and internationalized the Joropo Central.
His better known songs include El Gavilán pollero, Canto al Amanecer Tuyero, La Madrugada llanera, El Aguardiente, Atardecer Mirandino.