Jaime R. Echavarría
Jaime R. Echavarría | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Jaime Rudecindo Echavarría Villegas |
| Born | 13 November 1923 Medellín, Colombia |
| Died | 29 January 2010 (aged 86) Medellín, Colombia |
| Governor of Antioquia | |
| In office 1974–1975 | |
| Colombia Ambassador to Ethiopia | |
| In office 1967–1967 | |
Jaime Rudecindo Echavarría Villegas[a] (13 November 1923 – 29 January 2010), known as Jaime R. Echavarría, was a Colombian musician, singer, songwriter, politician, and chemical engineer. In his book Lo Que Cuentan los Boleros, Hernán Restrepo Duque described Echavarría as "one of the most important, beloved, and respected composers in Colombia".[1]: q
Biography
Echavarría was born on 13 November 1923 in Medellín, in the Colombian department of Antioquia.[1] His parents were Jaime Echavarría and Alicia Villegas.[2] His mother was a pianist, and his uncle Luis Eduardo taught him to play tiple and accordion.[3][1] Echavarría went to school at the Colegio San Ignacio in Medellín, and got a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the Pontifical Bolivarian University.[4]
Echavarría was a self-taught musician, and never formally studied music.[5] His first album was Yo Nací Para Ti (1963), on which he played his compositions on the piano and sang, accompanied by Luis Uribe Bueno on guitar and Iván Uribe Vélez on double bass.[5]
He was the ambassador extraordinary of Colombia to UNCTAD in 1964, its inaugural year.[3] In 1967 he was the ambassador of Colombia to Ethiopia,[3] and in 1974–1975 he was the Governor of Antioquia.[6]
From 1982 to 1986 Echavarría was the president of Acinpro (the Colombian Association of Performers and Producers), and was later made director.[2]
Personal life and death
Echavarría was married to Rosa Elena López.[2] He died of kidney failure on 29 January 2010 in Medellín.[2]
Musical style and notable compositions
Echavarría is particularly celebrated as a composer of boleros; Radio Nacional de Colombia called him "undoubtedly the most important personality of the Colombian bolero".[1]: q He also wrote bambucos and pasillos, and in total wrote over 100 songs.[4]
Echavarría's notable compositions include:[4][5]
- bambuco: "Noches de Cartagena", "Muchacha de Mis Amores", "Serenata", "Yo Nací Para Tí"
- bolero: "La Flor de las Flores", "Entre Estas Cuatro Paredes", "Me Estás Haciendo Falta", "Aquel Ayer", "Vamos a Ver", "Dime Por Qué", "Traicionera"
- pasillo: "Mi Guitarra te Añora", "Amor", "Sueño Tal Vez", and "Qué Tienes Tú"
- waltz: "Cuando Voy Por la Calle"
His songs have been recorded by María Dolores Pradera, René Cabel, Helenita Vargas, Armando Manzanero, Matilde Díaz, Leonor González Mina, Patricia González, María Martha Serra Lima, Beatriz Márquez, Sofronín Martínez, Alfonso Ortiz Tirado, and Gerardo Arellano.[5][1][6]
Notes
- ^ In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Echavarría and the second or maternal family name is Villegas.
References
- ^ a b c d e "El centenario del compositor, pianista y cantante Jaime R. Echavarría" [The centenary of composer, pianist, and singer Jaime R. Echavarría], Radio Nacional de Colombia (in Spanish), 12 November 2023, retrieved 27 July 2025
- ^ a b c d "Falleció el compositor Jaime R. Echavarría" [Composer Jaime R. Echavarría has died], El Espectador (in Spanish), 29 January 2010, retrieved 28 July 2025
- ^ a b c "Murió el maestro Jaime R. Echavarría, compositor de 'Noches de Cartagena'" [The master Jaime R. Echavarría, composer of 'Noches de Cartagena', has died], El Tiempo (in Spanish), 29 January 2010, retrieved 26 July 2025
- ^ a b c José I. Pinilla Aguilar (1980). "Echavarría Villegas Jaime R.". Cultores de la Música Colombiana (in Spanish). Editorial Ariana. p. 176. OCLC 253182806.
- ^ a b c d Jaime Andrés Monsalve Buriticá (November 2024). "Jaime R. Echavarría – Yo nací para ti". En Surcos de Colores: La Historia de la Música Colombiana en 150 Discos [In Colourful Grooves: The History of Colombian Music in 150 Records] (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Rey Naranjo Editores. pp. 67–68. ISBN 978-628-7589-47-6.
- ^ a b César Pagano (17 June 1998), "Jaime R. Echavarría, un homenaje para el bolero" [Jaime R. Echavarría, an homage to the bolero], El Tiempo (in Spanish), retrieved 26 July 2025
External links
- Jaime R. Echavarría discography at Discogs