Rolando Alarcón
Encyclopedia
Rolando Alarcón Soto was a teacher
, folklorist
, soloist
and composer
living in Chile
. He became a national-known figure in his homecountry due to his work as a musician, and at his funeral, even the president
, Salvador Allende
, expressed his regrets.
Born on August 5, 1929, he grew up in Sewell
, Chile
, where he lived together with his parents, Atilio Alarcón de la Fuente and Zunilda Soto Riquelme, and his three brothers. At the age of ten he moved to Chillán
in order to study, and it was also here he became a teacher
. He moved to Santiago
in 1950 where he became interested in folkloric music
, and where he in 1951 started specializing, as a teacher, in music
.
In Santiago he also became a founding member of first the folkloric choir
Coro Pablo Vidales, and later an integral part and director of the more successful Cuncumén, which also toured Europe
two times in 1957 and 1961, until 1963 when he left the group. He then formed a duo together with Silvia Urbina
for a short while, with whom he also recorded a couple of songs in Russian
, but in 1965 he started his career as a soloist
.
He died during an operation on February 4, 1973, only 43 years old.
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
, 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...
, soloist
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
living in 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...
. He became a national-known figure in his homecountry due to his work as a musician, and at his funeral, even the president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
, Salvador Allende
Salvador Allende
Salvador Allende Gossens was a Chilean physician and politician who is generally considered the first democratically elected Marxist to become president of a country in Latin America....
, expressed his regrets.
Born on August 5, 1929, he grew up in Sewell
Sewell, Chile
Sewell is an uninhabited Chilean mining town located in the commune of Machalí in Cachapoal Province, O'Higgins Region, on the slopes of the Andes, at an altitude between 2,000 and 2,250 metres. The town was founded in 1904 by the Braden Copper Co. to extract the copper in the El Teniente mine,...
, 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...
, where he lived together with his parents, Atilio Alarcón de la Fuente and Zunilda Soto Riquelme, and his three brothers. At the age of ten he moved to 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...
in order to study, and it was also here he became a teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
. He moved to Santiago
Santiago, 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...
in 1950 where he became interested in folkloric music
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...
, and where he in 1951 started specializing, as a teacher, in music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
.
In Santiago he also became a founding member of first the folkloric choir
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...
Coro Pablo Vidales, and later an integral part and director of the more successful Cuncumén, which also toured Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
two times in 1957 and 1961, until 1963 when he left the group. He then formed a duo together with Silvia Urbina
Silvia Urbina
Silvia Urbina is a Chilean singer and researcher in folkloric music of Chile. She started her career as a musician in 1955 as one of the founders of the successful group, Cuncumén, and after leaving the group in 1961, she founded another group, Cuncumenitos, dedicated to teach Chilean children...
for a short while, with whom he also recorded a couple of songs in Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, but in 1965 he started his career as a soloist
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
.
He died during an operation on February 4, 1973, only 43 years old.
Original
- 1960 - Traditional Chilean SongsTraditional Chilean SongsTraditional Chilean songs is the first album by the folk music artist Rolando Alarcón.- Track listing :# Si yo volviera a quererte# Doña María, le ruego # La niña de Arauco# Los patos en la laguna# Los gallos# El naranjito...
- 1964 - Chile NuevoChile NuevoChile Nuevo is the second album by the folk music artist Rolando Alarcón, recorded together with Silvia Urbina.- Track listing :# Despedida # De tus ojos llorosos # Cuando baila el cachimbo...
- 1965 - Rolando Alarcón y sus cancionesRolando Alarcón y sus cancionesRolando Alarcón y sus canciones is the third album by the folk music artist Rolando Alarcón.- Track listing :# Si somos americanos# El árbol de la noche triste# El águila y la paloma# En las salitreras# En un pequeño mundo# Mocito que vas remando...
- 1966 - Rolando AlarcónRolando Alarcón (album)Rolando Alarcón is the fourth album by the folk music artist Rolando Alarcón.- Track listing :# Voy a recorrer el mundo# Doña Javiera Carrera# La canción de la noche# Canto guajiro# Mi abuelo bailó sirilla# Mocosita# La copla de los números...
- 1967 - El nuevo Rolando AlarcónEl nuevo Rolando AlarcónEl nuevo Rolando Alarcón is the fifth album by the folk music artist Rolando Alarcón.- Track listing :# Mañana será domingo# El trigo# Piel de niña# Cueca larga del norte# Paloma negra# Vienes de un mundo triste# Palomo y la golondrina...
- 1968 - Canciones de la Guerra Civil EspañolaCanciones de la Guerra Civil EspañolaCanciones de la Guerra Civil Española is the sixth album by the folk music artist Rolando Alarcón. On the album he is accompanied by Carlos Valladares and Enrique San Martín.- Track listing :# Si me quieres escribir# El quinto regimiento...
- 1969 - El mundo folklórico de Rolando AlarcónEl mundo folklórico de Rolando AlarcónEl mundo folklórico de Rolando Alarcón is the seventh album by the folk music artist Rolando Alarcón.- Track listing :# La balada de Ho Chi Minh # Guantanamera # La mano de Dios...
- 1969 - A la resistencia españolaA la resistencia españolaA la resistencia española is the eighth album by the folk music artist Rolando Alarcón.- Track listing :# La paloma# Canción de Grimau# A la huelga# Coplas del tiempo# El gallo rojo# Canción de los soldados- External links :*...
- 1969 - Por Cuba y VietnamPor Cuba y VietnamPor Cuba y Vietnam is the ninth album by the folk music artist Rolando Alarcón. On the album he is accompanied by Carlos Valladares, Enrique San Martín and Los Emigrantes.- Track listing :# "Pregúntale a Cuba hermano"# "Sin bandera"# "Se llama Fidel"...
- 1970 - El hombreEl hombreEl hombre is the tenth album by the folk music artist Rolando Alarcón. On the album he is accompanied by Los Emigrantes.- Track listing :# "El hombre"# "La quebrada de la luna"# "Paloma mía"# "La hierba de los caminos"# "Cuando una tarde salí"...
- 1971 - Canta a los poetas soviéticosCanta a los poetas soviéticosCanta a los poetas soviéticos is the eleventh album by the folk music artist Rolando Alarcón.- Track listing :# "¿Querrán los rusos la guerra?"# "Cuando mataron a Lorca"# "La prisa es la maldición del siglo"# "La isba"# "El último trolebús"...
- 1971 - Canciones desde una prisiónCanciones desde una prisiónCanciones desde una prisión is the twelfth album by the folk music artist Rolando Alarcón.- Track listing :# Si tú eres mi enemigo# Coplas del pie# Ha muerto Elba Susana # Ha venido desde lejos# Pobrecita la llave...
- 1972 - El alma de mi puebloEl alma de mi puebloEl alma de mi pueblo is the thirteenth album by the folk music artist Rolando Alarcón. On the album he is accompanied by Carlos Valladares and Los Emigrantes.- Track listing :# "Voy a recorrer mi ciudad"# "Canción para Pablo"# "El Museo de Cera"...
Posthumous
- 1980 - Rolando Alarcón
- 1983 - Rolando Alarcón y sus amigos
- 1985 - El alma de mi pueblo
- 1998 - Todo Rolando Alarcón
- 1998 - Rolando Alarcón y sus canciones