Jorge "Lobito" Martínez
Jorge Eladio Martínez Ayala | |
|---|---|
| File:Jorge Lobito Martínez.jpg | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jorge Eladio Martínez Ayala |
| Also known as | Lobito |
| Born | May 11, 1952 Asunción, Py |
| Died | January 10, 2003 (aged 50) Asunción, Py |
| Occupation | Musician |
Jorge "lobito" Martinez is a Paraguan musician. He was born in Asunción, Paraguay’s capital, on May 11, 1952, son of the singer, guitarist, composer, and folklorist Eladio Martínez and Aida Ayala.
First steps
He studied piano with Margarita Morosoli de Picardo from age 6 to 11, and then with Nelly Jimenez, Pedro Burian and at the Leonor Aranda's High Pianistic Studies Institute. His harmony teachers were Luis Cañete and Carlos Schwartzman.
From age 22 and until 1983 he was part of the pop group “Los Aftermad's;” with them he recorded many albums, including songs written by him. In the 80s he was part of the jazz group “Opus 572,” and he mostly offered classic piano recitals on his own.
Career
Year Stand out activity 1986 He spent a week in a musical clinic in Buenos Aires, from the Berkeley College of Music, making a decisive impression to get a scholarship to continue his studies in the central of this World Wide famous music institution in Boston, United States 1988 A Fulbright scholarship allowed him to study at the Berkeley College of Music in Boston, where he graduated in jazz performance, composition, arrangements and improvisations. 1991 He was assigned headline teacher of the Berkeley College piano department, where he developed the subject of “Music with Latin rhythms” for two more years. He was awarded the “Count Basie” From the Argentina’s Berkeley Summer School award. Middle 90’s He came back to Paraguay, where he offered piano recitals, and dedicated to teaching and composition. 1997 He directed orchestras for the national editions of the OTI Festival (Iberoamerican Television Organization). He also coordinated and directed the release of CDs of Paraguayan music made by the prestigious Paraguayan morning newspaper ABC Color. 1998 At the request of the Sower Group (main referent of the movement called “New Popular Paraguayan Song book”), the Philomusical Orchestra directed by Luis Szarán and the Paraguayan Choir directed by Luis Luccini Rivas, he was part of a memorable recital cycle in the CPJ (Paraguayan Japanese Center) in Asuncion. As a result of having “Lobito Martínez” as main musician, the journal ABC Color released many thousands of copies of a CD called “En las colinas del alma” (in the soul hills) commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Sower Group. “En las Colinas del alma” was a very anthological review of the popular Paraguayan songs of all times.
Discography
Among his main works:
- “Canto para ti” (I sing for you) y “Que más da”(Whatever), recorded by “Los Aftermad’s”,
- “Carola”, recorded by Andrés Boiarsky in Buenos Aires, in 1986;
- The soundtrack of the movie “El portón de los sueños” (the dream gate), from filmmaker Hugo Gamarra, about the life of Augusto Roa Bastos;
- “Juego de niños” (children's game) (1995) is the title of a CD leaned toward folkloric music with an obvious jazz influence, which broadcasts more of his creative talent (“Avy`a jave” and “Navidad,”) and presents new versions of all-time Paraguayan classics, like “Asunción” by Federico Riera song dedicated to Paraguay’s capital.
Last years
He died at the age of 50, murdered, in January, 2003.
References
- Diccionario Biográfico "FORJADORES DEL PARAGUAY", Primera Edición Enero de 2000. Distribuidora Quevedo de Ediciones. Buenos Aires, Argentina.