TONY CROATTO - Que Bonita Es Mi Tierra (Original).wmv

Hermes Davide Fastino Croatto Martinis, better known as Tony Croatto (March 2, 1940, some sources state his year of birth as 1939 -- April 3, 2005) was an Italian singer and composer best known for his interpretations of Puerto Rican folk music. He was also a television presenter. Born in Attimis, a comune in the province of Udine, Italy. Croatto's family moved to the border town of La Paz (Uruguay) in the Canelones department of Uruguay when he was 9 years old. While being raised as a carpenter, lumberjack and farmer, music was very much a part of his household. In 1959, at 19, he created his first pop music group with his brother Edelweiss (nicknamed "Tim") and his sister Argentina (nicknamed "Nelly") which was named "TNT". The group came about at Nelly's insistence; since their mother frowned upon the idea of Nelly (who was 15 years old at the time and adamantly wanted to become a singer) touring solo, she would only allow her to sing in public with her brothers as a backup group. The group eventually developed a very strong following, first in Argentina, then in Spain, where TNT moved as their popularity soared. The music pairing of Nelly and Tony then became a duo. In 1968, after travelling across South America and spending two years in Venezuela (his then-wife Raquel Montero was an Argentine-born novela actress, whose good looks and dramatic talent were popular in the country; their mutual children Mara and Alejandro Croatto were born there). Tony moved to what would eventually become his adoptive homeland, Puerto Rico, when "Nelly y Tony" were hired by Puerto Rican promoter Alfred D. Herger to his popular youth television shows. "Nelly y Tony" would perform together until 1974, when Nelly married a Puerto Rican surgeon. She retired from pop music and eventually moved to the United States. While performing with his sister Nelly in New York's Teatro Puerto Rico in 1973, Tony was introduced to New York bred but Puerto Rico born vocalist Roberto Tirado who suggested that he compose a hit song for his idol Lucecita Benítez who was going through hard times in her career. Tony obliged and with poet David Ortiz wrote her number one career refreshing hit, "Soy De Una Raza Pura." That would be the only song that Lucecita Benítez would claim as her opening song for many years later on.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• TONY
• CROATTO
• Que
• Bonita
• Es
• Mi
• Tierra
• Puerto
• Rico
• tipica
• Borinquen
• Campo
• jibaro
• Original
• music
• guitar
• acoustic

[poderosop]

tony amaba su PUERTO RICO Dios lo tenga en la Gloria ,nunca lo olvidaremos gracias Dios por nuestro Tony Croato

[ezdmonroig]

que voz bonita..me alegro encontrarlo ahora ...el compay italiano!

[Muneca1254]

Le dan a una ganas de regresar a la Patria. si no fuera por los compromisos de trabajo y de familia me iba pa' mi Isla.

[MsLorrainia]

que en paz descanse :)

[benvin1971]

Tony nació en otro país pero fué el primer ciudadano nacido en un puerto rico libre que verémos. él se merece el primer documento de Identidad nacional boricua. Tony Boricua del Alma.

[Mar90J]

Tony, inmortal!!! Viva Puerto Rico que fue la casa de este ciudadano de mundo!... Definitivamente un jibaro completo!

[DrPBrain1]

Para mediados de los 1980's, tuve el honor de conocer aTony en una actividad familiar, en Santa Rita, Guánica. En los minutos que intercambiamos palabras, ví que era una persona que practicaba una vida muy sencilla. Más aún, sentí como esa sencillez era producto del amor a la tierra, al campo... todo un jíbarito puertorriqueño, dentro de la persona de un italiano. Mi profunda admiración y respeto a este ser que aceptó, de corazón, a Puerto Rico como su tierra. Dios te bendiga, "compay" Tony!

[usera0608]

Se que fue directo al Cielo pue el tenia un corazon de angel de buena voluntad. Me acuerdo en 1979 que hubo un concierto en la cancha del colegio de Mayaguez, y en medio del concierto se fue la luz. Otros artistas recojen sus equipo y se van,. No Tony Croatto. El se fue con su grupo a la calle Bosque entre los condominio los Lirios detras del El Escorial I , y alli con su grupo haciendo punto en otro son toco para nosotros los estudiantes. El era Unico Dios lo tenga en su sembro.