Los Melódicos

Los Melódicos
OriginVenezuela
Genresmúsica tropical,[1] vallenato,[2] porro[2]
Years active1958–present

Los Melódicos are a Venezuelan band founded in 1958. Los Melódicos play música tropical (literally "tropical music"), a genre developed on the Caribbean coasts of Venezuela, Colombia, and other Central American and Caribbean countries in the mid 20th century.[1]

Los Melódicos are similar in style to fellow Venezuelan group Billo's Caracas Boys, and were formed while Billo Frómeta was occupied by legal problems and unable to make music; Frómeta later wrote some arrangements for the band.[1]

History

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Los Melódicos were founded in 1958.[3] Some sources claim that Renato Capriles [es] founded Los Melódicos with the help of Billo Frómeta, others that he became director only in 1962.[3][1][2]

Los Melódicos made their performance debut on Radio Caracas Televisión on 15 July 1958. Their debut album Estos son Los Melódicos was recorded the same year.[3] In 1959 Los Melódicos became the first Venezuelan band to tour abroad when they performed in Havana, Cuba.[3]

The original line-up of Los Melódicos included 5 saxophonists, 4 trumpets, and a trombone.[3] Singers for Los Melódicos have included Niro Keller, Emilita Dago, Rafa Pérez, Víctor Piñero [es], Manolo Monterrey [es], Rafa Galindo [es], Lee Palmer, Verónica Rey, Doris Salas, Cherry Navarro [es], Daniel Alvarado, Chico Salas, Oscar Santana, Cheo García [de], Argenis Carruyo, Diveana [es] and Liz.[3] In 2014 El Tiempo reported that Los Melódicos had had 22 female and 43 male singers throughout its history.[2]

By 2008 Los Melódicos had recorded 100 albums, had obtained 9 Congo de Oros at the Barranquilla Carnival, and were still playing up to 28 shows a month.[4]: q Aside from a period spent recovering from a car crash in 1997, Capriles claimed at that time to have been at every Melódicos show in their entire history.[4]: q

Founder Renato Capriles died in July 2014 of pneumonia.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Peter Wade (2000), Music, Race, and Nation – Música Tropical in Colombia, Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, p. 157, ISBN 0-226-86845-1
  2. ^ a b c d e Valentina Lares Martiz (2014-07-08), "Renato Capriles, un venezolano de corazón colombiano" [Renato Capriles, a Venezuelan with a Colombian heart], El Tiempo (in Spanish), retrieved 2024-09-14
  3. ^ a b c d e f Felipe Doffiny (1998), "Los Melódicos", in José Peñín; Walter Guido (eds.), Enciclopedia de la Música en Venezuela (in Spanish), vol. 2: I–Z, Caracas: Fundación Bigott, p. 211, ISBN 980-6428-02-1
  4. ^ a b Editorial staff (2008-08-06), "Los Melódicos cumplen 50 años" [Los Melódicos celebrate 50 years], El Tiempo (in Spanish), retrieved 2024-09-14
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