Rafael Rincón González
Rafael Rincón González (Maracaibo, Zulia state, Venezuela, September 30, 1922 – January 15, 2012), specifically in the populated marabino district of El Saladillo. Son of the recognized zuliano painter Neptalí Rincón, from a very young age Rincón felt a strong vocation for music. He later graduated as teacher, and an important part of his educational work is focused on music education.
Toward the end of the 1930s he founded his own musical group Los Hermanitos Rincón, in which his brother Guillermo was the pianist. He later entered into the Trío los Melódicos with guitar teacher Ciro Adarme and the singer Adelina Valbuena; he worked as a music teacher in different schools in which he formed choirs and school music groups. In 1962 he founded and directed the gaiteras groups Los Tremendos de Ojeda and Los Compadres del Éxito, and two years later founded the choirs Coral Mene Grande, Coral del Liceo Raúl Cuenca, Coral Shell and Coral de la Asociación de Bienestar y Cultura.
Rincón also founded, along with Ciro Adarme, Max Alliey and Nora Romero, the group El Grupo, showcasing his repertoire of compositions. Two guitars, a mandolin and two voices: one his and the other his wife (Nora Romero).
In the period of 1974–1979 he was elected as councillor of the Bolivar district and made efforts with his cultural and educational work in the towns of the eastern coast of the Lake Maracaibo.
Rincón González is also a composer (of more than 600 songs), essentially waltzes, danzas, contradanzas, bambucos and gaitas; among the best known are: “Maracaibo florido”, “Besos inocentes”, “El platanero”, "Cosas del Ayer", “No te puedo Olvidar”, “Danza Zuliana”, “Lamento Goajiro”, “Maracaibera”, “Pregones Zulianos”, “Soberana”, “Mi gaitón”, and “Lago de Maracaibo”.
His songs have been interpreted by Ensamble Gurrufío, Gualberto Ibarreto, Simón Díaz, Jesús Sevillano, Tino Rodríguez, Lila Morillo, Jesus Reyes “Reyito”,, La Rondalla venezolana, Armando Molero and the Maracaibo Symphony Orchestra, among others. The song “Pregones Zulianos” was recorded by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of London and features the musician Frank Barber in the zulian suite. His work as teacher, composer and singer has been recognized through the orders San Sebastián and Diego de Losada (1997). His compositions are musical patrimony of the Zulia state by decree, since August 23, 1993.
