Ángel Tavira
Encyclopedia
Ángel Tavira Maldonado was a Mexican
composer, musician and violinist of son calentano
. He was awarded the Best Actor Award on the 2006 Cannes Film Festival
in the Un Certain Regard section for his role in the movie El violín
.
, which lies in the region known as Tierra Caliente
. He was the only child of J. Isabel Maldonado Tavira and Anita Tavira López, and grandson of Juan Bartolo Tavira, a composer and performer of son
, gustos, Indias, malagueñas
, rhyme
s and coplas
, who inspired and taught him the love for local traditional music. Being born in a family traditionally related with music, he was successively encouraged by his uncles and cousins Félix, José Guadalupe Lupito, and Sósimo Tavira López in learning and playing music. When he was six years old, he began to play four instruments by ear training
: saxophone, bass, guitar and violin, and later he went to take courses in classical, semi-classical and romantic music. Still being young he suffered an accident during the town's patron saint
feast when a firework exploded in his right hand, which had to be amputated, discouraging Tavira from playing music. However, it was his uncle "Lupito" who encouraged him to continue performing. Later on, he went to take classes at the National Conservatory of Music
in Mexico City
.
He was considered a great composer of son calentano
, traditional music genre
of Tierra Caliente
(a region within the state of Guerrero), along with other composers such as Juan Reynoso Portillo
, Cástulo Benítez, José Natividad Leandro, Zacarías Salmerón
and Pedro Ignacio Pablo. When he was 60 years old he enrolled at the Music Conservatory of Morelia
to study music notation with the purpose of recovering the traditional music of his region.
Ángel Tavira was director of the Hermanos Tavira Band, a musical group that has been protecting and promoting the traditional music by recovering the works of Juan Reynoso, Zacarías and Filiberto Salmerón, and Severino Bañuelos. Among other activities, Ángel Tavira was a farmer, a goldsmith and, as a teacher, he worked at the "Antonia Nava de Catalán" Kindergarten and at the "Jaime Torres Bodet" Secondary School No. 2, since 1972 until he retired, 32 years later, in Iguala
.
In 1988, Tavira was introduced to politics when he was selected as Federal Substitute Deputy for the candidacy of Félix Salgado Macedonio. Ángel Tavira married Elpidia Diego Rosales, with whom he had four children: Yolanda, Margarita, Daniel and Luis, and integrated into his family both Ricardo and Leticia, the two children Elpidia already had.
With no studies or experience in acting he participated in 2005 in the movie El violín, directed by Francisco Vargas Quevedo, in the role of don Plutarco Hidalgo, a musician and farmer that participates in a guerrilla that plans to revolt against its own government, role for which he obtained the Best Actor Award in the Un Certain Regard
section (Prix d'interprétation masculine - Un certain regard) at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival
, besides being awarded the Golden Kikito for best actor in a Latin Motion Picture category of the 34th Festival de Gramado
, and a Special Jury Award at the 30th São Paulo International Film Festival
. Tavira died of kidney complications on June 30, 2008.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
composer, musician and violinist of son calentano
Son Calentano
The son calentano is an instrumental form of Tierra Caliente, Mexico. It has meters in 3/4 and 6/8, an ornamented use of violin and back beats on guitar and tamborita....
. He was awarded the Best Actor Award on the 2006 Cannes Film Festival
2006 Cannes Film Festival
The 2006 Cannes Film Festival ran from May 17, 2006 to May 28, 2006. Twenty films from eleven countries were in competition for the Palme d'Or. The President of the Official Jury was Wong Kar-wai, the first Chinese director to preside over the jury....
in the Un Certain Regard section for his role in the movie El violín
The Violin
The Violin is a 2005 Mexican drama film directed by Francisco Vargas. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Ángel Tavira – Don Plutarco* Gerardo Taracena – Genaro* Dagoberto Gama – Capitán...
.
Biography
Ángel Tavira Maldonado was born in the town of Corral Falso in the municipality of Ajuchitlán del Progreso, GuerreroGuerrero
Guerrero officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guerrero is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo....
, which lies in the region known as Tierra Caliente
Tierra Caliente (Mexico)
Tierra Caliente is a term used to describe a cultural and geographical region in southern Mexico that stretches some areas of the states of Guerrero, Michoacán and Estado de Mexico.Municipios included:...
. He was the only child of J. Isabel Maldonado Tavira and Anita Tavira López, and grandson of Juan Bartolo Tavira, a composer and performer of son
Son (music)
The Son cubano is a style of music that originated in Cuba and gained worldwide popularity in the 1930s. Son combines the structure and elements of Spanish canción and the Spanish guitar with African rhythms and percussion instruments of Bantu and Arará origin...
, gustos, Indias, malagueñas
Malagueña (genre)
The Malagueña is a typical folk music from the Venezuelan east. In this genre, the mandolin is the main instrument, simultaneously that the cuatro and the guitar serve as companions. It is characterized that the malagueña songs, have sad and melancholic melody, in tribute to the Virgen del Valle,...
, rhyme
Rhyme
A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in two or more words and is most often used in poetry and songs. The word "rhyme" may also refer to a short poem, such as a rhyming couplet or other brief rhyming poem such as nursery rhymes.-Etymology:...
s and coplas
Copla (music)
The copla or copla andaluza is a form of Spanish popular song, deriving from the poetic form of the same name. The genre arose in the 1940s, and is epitomized by songwriters Antonio Quintero, Rafael de León and Manuel Quiroga.One of the first singers of coplas was Raquel Meller...
, who inspired and taught him the love for local traditional music. Being born in a family traditionally related with music, he was successively encouraged by his uncles and cousins Félix, José Guadalupe Lupito, and Sósimo Tavira López in learning and playing music. When he was six years old, he began to play four instruments by ear training
Ear training
Ear training or aural skills is a skill by which musicians learn to identify, solely by hearing, pitches, intervals, melody, chords, rhythms, and other basic elements of music. The application of this skill is analogous to taking dictation in written/spoken language. Ear training may be...
: saxophone, bass, guitar and violin, and later he went to take courses in classical, semi-classical and romantic music. Still being young he suffered an accident during the town's patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
feast when a firework exploded in his right hand, which had to be amputated, discouraging Tavira from playing music. However, it was his uncle "Lupito" who encouraged him to continue performing. Later on, he went to take classes at the National Conservatory of Music
National Conservatory of Music (Mexico)
The National Conservatory of Music of Mexico is a music conservatory located in the Polanco section of Mexico City, Federal District, Mexico.-History:...
in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
.
He was considered a great composer of son calentano
Son Calentano
The son calentano is an instrumental form of Tierra Caliente, Mexico. It has meters in 3/4 and 6/8, an ornamented use of violin and back beats on guitar and tamborita....
, traditional music genre
Music genre
A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music...
of Tierra Caliente
Tierra caliente
Tierra caliente is a pseudo-climatalogical term used in Latin America to refer to those places within that realm which have a distinctly tropical climate...
(a region within the state of Guerrero), along with other composers such as Juan Reynoso Portillo
Juan Reynoso Portillo
Juan Reynoso Portillo was a Mexican fiddler who played in Mexico's Tierra Caliente style...
, Cástulo Benítez, José Natividad Leandro, Zacarías Salmerón
Zacarías Salmerón
Zacarías Salmerón Daza is a Mexican composer, musician and violinist of son calentano.-Biography:Zacarías Salmerón Daza was born in Tlapehuala, Guerrero, Mexico. He is nephew of J. Isaías Salmerón Pastenes, who is considered one of the pillars of the calentano music and who became a teacher to...
and Pedro Ignacio Pablo. When he was 60 years old he enrolled at the Music Conservatory of Morelia
Morelia
Morelia is a city and municipality in the north central part of the state of Michoacán in central Mexico. The city is in the Guayangareo Valley and is the capital of the state. The main pre-Hispanic cultures here were the P'urhépecha and the Matlatzinca, but no major cities were founded in the...
to study music notation with the purpose of recovering the traditional music of his region.
Ángel Tavira was director of the Hermanos Tavira Band, a musical group that has been protecting and promoting the traditional music by recovering the works of Juan Reynoso, Zacarías and Filiberto Salmerón, and Severino Bañuelos. Among other activities, Ángel Tavira was a farmer, a goldsmith and, as a teacher, he worked at the "Antonia Nava de Catalán" Kindergarten and at the "Jaime Torres Bodet" Secondary School No. 2, since 1972 until he retired, 32 years later, in Iguala
Iguala
The historic city of Iguala de la Independencia is located from state capital Chilpancingo in the Mexican state of Guerrero. It stands on Federal Highway 95. Iguala is the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name, located in the north-central part of the state. The city had a 2005...
.
In 1988, Tavira was introduced to politics when he was selected as Federal Substitute Deputy for the candidacy of Félix Salgado Macedonio. Ángel Tavira married Elpidia Diego Rosales, with whom he had four children: Yolanda, Margarita, Daniel and Luis, and integrated into his family both Ricardo and Leticia, the two children Elpidia already had.
With no studies or experience in acting he participated in 2005 in the movie El violín, directed by Francisco Vargas Quevedo, in the role of don Plutarco Hidalgo, a musician and farmer that participates in a guerrilla that plans to revolt against its own government, role for which he obtained the Best Actor Award in the Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's Official Selection. It is run at the Salle Debussy, parallel to the competition for the Palme d'Or.This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob...
section (Prix d'interprétation masculine - Un certain regard) at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival
2006 Cannes Film Festival
The 2006 Cannes Film Festival ran from May 17, 2006 to May 28, 2006. Twenty films from eleven countries were in competition for the Palme d'Or. The President of the Official Jury was Wong Kar-wai, the first Chinese director to preside over the jury....
, besides being awarded the Golden Kikito for best actor in a Latin Motion Picture category of the 34th Festival de Gramado
Festival de Gramado
The Gramado Film Festival is an international film festival held annually in the Brazilian city of Gramado, Rio Grande do Sul, since 1973. Since 1992 it also gives awards to Latin American films produced outside Brazil...
, and a Special Jury Award at the 30th São Paulo International Film Festival
São Paulo International Film Festival
The São Paulo International Film Festival is a film festival held annually in São Paulo, Brazil since 1976. In 2004 Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami was a member of the jury.-International Jury Award:*2001: The New Country ...
. Tavira died of kidney complications on June 30, 2008.