Benito Canónico | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1894-01-03)January 3, 1894 |
| Died | October 13, 1971(1971-10-13) (aged 77) Caracas, Venezuela |
| Genres | Venezuelan music |
| Occupation | Composer |
Benito Canónico (January 3, 1894 – October 13, 1971) was aVenezuelancomposer,musician,orchestrator andteacher.[1]
Born inGuarenas,Miranda, Venezuela, Canónico spent much of his life teaching and writing music in a wide variety of genres and styles, includinghymns,marches andpopular music. Nevertheless, he received international recognition thanks to his popular songEl Totumo de Guarenas, which has been performed and recorded by generations ofclassical guitarists.[2]
He was the son of Agostino Canónico, an immigrantItalian musician who taught him to play violin at a young age. As a teenager, he took up thebugle to join a localmilitary band, where he later switched to theclarinet. While at the band, he also learned to playtrumpet andtrombone, as well as several instruments of thesaxhorn andwoodwind families. In addition, he was a solid player of regional instruments such as thearpa mirandina andcuatro.[2]
In the early 1920s Canónico moved with his family toCaracas, where he worked as a music teacher and devoted himself to composing and orchestrate. Besides this, he played during 22 years for the Banda Marcial Caracas, by then conducted byPedro Elías Gutiérrez, and was a founding member of the Orquesta Típica Nacional in 1953.[2] Both groups are considered Cultural Heritage of the Nation.[3][4] In addition, one of his descendants,Daniel Canónico, was a notable professional baseball player.
Canónico gained further recognition after musicianAlirio Díaz wrote a guitar transcription for the aforementionedEl Totumo de Guarenas and premiered it in 1960 atTeatro Municipal de Caracas.[2] Since then, the song has been recorded by a number of famous guitarists includingLiona Boyd,Antonio Lauro,Flavio Sala andJohn Williams, among others.[5]
Benito Canónico died in Caracas in 1971, at the age of 77, following a long illness.[2]
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