Roberto Parra Sandoval
Encyclopedia
Roberto Parra Sandoval also known in Spanish
as El tío Roberto (Uncle Roberto), was a Chile
an singer-songwriter
, guitarist
and folklorist
, member of the Parra family
, many of whose members are famous artists. He died in Santiago at age 73.
as the son of Clarisa Sandoval Navarrete and Nicanor Parra Parra, uncle Roberto was the fifth son in the Parra Sandoval family, after siblings Nicanor
, Hilda, Violeta
and Eduardo
, and born before Caupolicán, Elba, Lautaro and Óscar. His first steps in music were precipitated by the early death of his father. With his siblings Violeta, Eduardo and Hilda, he started to sing in the streets of the small towns and villages around Chillán
and Parral.
In 1935, when he was fourteen years old, Roberto started to work as a guitar player in several circus
es, and cabaret
s, first in southern Chile. Until the late 1950s, he worked traveling north and south, becoming very popular, along with his brother Eduardo, with whom he formed the Dúo de los Hermanos Parra (Parra Brothers Duet) in 1938. He sporadically worked in several other jobs: on Valparaíso's dry-docks, as a paperboy, shoeshiner, welder, mechanic helper, carpenter, and the owner of a furniture shop, among others.
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
as El tío Roberto (Uncle Roberto), was a Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and folklorist
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
, member of the Parra family
Parra family
The Parra family is a Chilean family known for its many artists. Members of the Parra family are noted contributors to Chilean culture with almost every member being a distinguished national artist. The family is not related to the Parra brothers, members of the Chilean rock fusion group Los...
, many of whose members are famous artists. He died in Santiago at age 73.
Early times
Born in Santiago, ChileSantiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
as the son of Clarisa Sandoval Navarrete and Nicanor Parra Parra, uncle Roberto was the fifth son in the Parra Sandoval family, after siblings Nicanor
Nicanor Parra
Nicanor Parra Sandoval is a mathematician and poet born in San Fabián de Alico, Chile, who has been considered to be a popular poet in Chile with enormous influence and popularity in Latin America, and also considered one of the most important poets of the Spanish language literature...
, Hilda, Violeta
Violeta Parra
Violeta del Carmen Parra Sandoval was a notable Chilean composer, songwriter, folklorist, ethnomusicologist and visual artist...
and Eduardo
Eduardo Parra
Eduardo Parra is a member of the Chilean rock fusion band Los Jaivas. He is the oldest of the Parra brothers . Eduardo plays the keyboards and some percussion instruments.-Poetry:He wrote several poetry books, including:*La Puerta Giratoria.Ediciones Rivera Scott...
, and born before Caupolicán, Elba, Lautaro and Óscar. His first steps in music were precipitated by the early death of his father. With his siblings Violeta, Eduardo and Hilda, he started to sing in the streets of the small towns and villages around Chillán
Chillán
Chillán is a city in the Biobío Region of Chile located about south of the country's capital, Santiago, near the geographical center of the country. It is the capital of Ñuble Province and, with a population of approximately 170,000 people , the most populated urban center of this province...
and Parral.
In 1935, when he was fourteen years old, Roberto started to work as a guitar player in several circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
es, and cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
s, first in southern Chile. Until the late 1950s, he worked traveling north and south, becoming very popular, along with his brother Eduardo, with whom he formed the Dúo de los Hermanos Parra (Parra Brothers Duet) in 1938. He sporadically worked in several other jobs: on Valparaíso's dry-docks, as a paperboy, shoeshiner, welder, mechanic helper, carpenter, and the owner of a furniture shop, among others.