Felipe Sosa

He was a guitar player, composer and guitar Paraguayan teacher.

He was born in 1945, in Caazapá, city of the department with the same name in Paraguay.

Childhood and Youth

He spent his childhood and adolescence in his hometown. His elementary studies he made them in Caazapá. And later he moved to Asunción, capital of Paraguay, pursuing to continue his high school studies and later started his musical studies in the Escuela Normal de Música (Normative School Music). He graduated from this school and obtained his professor of guitar diploma with honors for his dedication.

Career

Since 1967, at the age of 22, he started take different courses to perfect his skills outside the country.

He traveled several times to Brazil, where he contacted and studied with professor Isaías Sabio.

Since 1967 to 1969 he was in Spain studying music with Professor Regino Sainz de la Maza.

In 1971 he traveled to Uruguay with the purpose to study with Professor Abel Carlevaro.

In 1974 he was hired by the International Society of Guitar to go on a tour of concerts in Central America and part of the United States.

In 1976 he participated from the 2nd International Seminar of Guitar in Montevideo, Uruguay, where he was awarded with a Gold Medal.

Also in 1976 he was distinguished as Outstanding Young Person by the Junior Camera of Asunción.

In 1983 Felipe traveled to Europe and there he participated in courses of Esthetics of Sound in the Schola Cantorum in Paris with Professor Alexandre Lagoya.

In 1988 the Brazilian government gave him the Medal “Heitor Villalobos” because of his work in the diffusion of the songs made by the Brazilian composer.

The masters of the guitar Cayo Sila Godoy and Felipe Sosa, along with Berta Rojas and Luz María Bobadilla represent three generation of the best Paraguayan guitar players.

Today, Felipe Sosa keeps composing and working in favor of the culture. He started running the project “Promoción de la Guitarra Clásica Paraguaya a Nivel Local e International” (Local and International Promoting Campaign of the Paraguayan Classical Guitar). With the object of contributing to the develop of the Paraguayan Classical Guitar through the diffusion of it, organizing events that generate interaction between the musician and the public.

Recently, master Felipe Sosa released an album called “La Guitarra Universal de Felipe Sosa” (The Universal Guitar of Felipe Sosa), in which he performs themes from Agustín Pío Barrios and music from the universal guitar repertoire.

The project also contemplates the realization of an international guitar contest that will be called “Agustín Pío Barrios – Mangoré” and that has as a purpose to promote the classical educated guitar.

Teacher of guitar players

Felipe Sosa has been accomplishing an unending labor as a teacher of classical guitar players in Paraguay. Among the most outstanding students are Berta Rojas, Diosnel Hernsdorf, and Luz María Bobadilla.

Work

Felipe Sosa is still working in pro of the diffusion of the guitar.

The master Felipe has released in Buenos Aires his book” La guitarra universal de Felipe Sosa” (The universal guitar of Felipe Sosa). This material was the number 17, who made his first recording at the age of 19 in the RCV Víctor of Buenos Aires. He has more records in Uruguay, Spain and in Paraguay. He recorded “La suite Mangoré” with two guitars and the orchestra of the master Florentín Giménez. This suite includes five Agustin Pío Barrios’ compositions. Sosa recorded also Ramón Noble’s “El concierto mexicano” (The Mexican concert) with Mexico Symphonic Orchestra.

“La guitarra” (The guitar) is the name of one of the most recent records of Felipe Sosa that is sample of his varied repertoire. The material includes the songs Quirino Báez Allende’s “Vals Florinda”, Ampelio Villalba’s “La Polca Juana de Lara” and of his own authorship “Villa Alondra”.

Felipe Sosa presents a radio program that has as a purpose to promote guitar songs and their performers. Sosa tries, through this show that Paraguay becomes the place of reference for the guitar and for young and new performers to have their music broadcast live.

His compositions

Among his most outstanding compositions are:

• Suite paraguaya.
• Sonata para la Paz.
• Reminiscencia de Ytú.
• Villa alondra.
• El cuarteto de guitarras.
• El amanecer

He has also arranged pieces of Paraguayan folklore to music sheets for classical guitar.

References

• Discos Elio.