Francisco Antonio Lora Cabrera (1858 in Maizal, Santiago[1] – 1971 in Bisonó (Navarrete)[2]) popularly known as Ñico Lora was a folk musician from the Dominican Republic. He is considered one of the fathers of merengue.[3]

Early life

His grandfather, Félix Lunnaux, was a soldier that came with Charles Leclerc’s expedition in 1802.[4] Was great-uncle of Francisco Antonio Lora Ramirez.

When he was a child, he learned how to play the button accordion.

Career

Though he was not educated in music theory, he reached a high level of success for his endeavors. His most important songs were San Antonio, Tingo Talango, Eres La Mujer Más Bella, Pedrito Chávez and San Francisco. These songs still stand in time as an essential part of the musical roots of the Dominican people.

He was a great supplier of anonymous melodies that are kept like a cultural good of the Dominican nation.[5]

Death and legacy

Ñico Lora died on April 9, 1971 in the town of Bisonó (Navarrete), where there is a plaza called "La Plaza de la Cultura Ñico Lora" which was built in 1997 to honor his achievements and contributions to Dominican music.[6] A statue in his memory was raised in Santiago in 2007.[1]

Sources

  1. 1 2 Sydney Hutchinson (2008). Merengue Tipico in Transnational Dominican Communities: Gender, Geography, Migration and Memory in a Traditional Music. ProQuest. pp. 232–. ISBN 978-0-549-81936-3. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
  2. ↑ Enciclopedia Dominicana. Enciclopédia Dominicana. 1978. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
  3. ↑ Darío Tejeda; Rafael Emilio Yunén (2006). El Merengue en la Cultura Dominicana y Del Caribe: Memorias Del Primer Congreso Internacional "Música, Identidad y Cultura en el Caribe". Centro León. p. 70. ISBN 978-9945-8519-7-7. Retrieved 12 May 2013. - El padre del merengue no sería Juan Bautista Alfonseca, sino Ñico Lora
  4. ↑ Espinal Hernández, Edwin Rafael (3 December 2005). "Los descendientes de la flota de Leclerc". Cápsulas Genealógicas. Instituto Dominicano de Genealogía. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  5. ↑ Celebridades de Santiago 2009/11/02
  6. ↑ Sarah Cameron (1 November 1999). Caribbean Islands Handbook 2000: with the Bahamas. Footprint Handbooks. ISBN 978-0-8442-4629-1. Retrieved 12 May 2013.

Further reading

  • "Los cien músicos del siglo", (published in 2000 by "Cañabrava", in Santo Domingo and written by "Antonio Gómez Sotolongo" ) in Spanish.
  • Biografia de Ñico Lora


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