FELIPE RODRIGUEZ Y EL TRIO LOS ANTARES Quinto Patio

Felipe Rodríguez con su Trío Los Antares: Raúl Balseiro, Pedrito Berríos y Rafael Scharon. Luis Felipe Rodriguez, better known as Felipe "La Voz" Rodríguez, (May 8, 1926 May 26, 1999) born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, was a singer of boleros. He is regarded as the most popular Puerto Rican male singer of the 1950s based on record sales and live audience records. Many of Rodríguez's recordings are often considered to be classics in Puerto Rico. Rodríguez was born in the Savarona section of Caguas, the son of a sharecropper and a midwife. He had a rough childhood; his father died before he was born. In 1930, his mother Carmen moved to Santurce and settled in Barrio Obrero, a working class district of San Juan. There Rodriguez went to school and practiced his singing skills during his free time. Julito Rodriguez (no relation to Felipe), another bolero singer, heard Rodriguez sing and invited him to form a singing duo; they later they formed a trio called "Los Romanceros" (The Romantics) and he first took part in a radio program, the popular amateur showcase "Tribuna del Arte", hosted and produced by Rafael Quiñones Vidal. In 1950, Rodriguez left the trio and tried different projects, such as forming or joining other trios (particularly the Trío Los Antares), duos (he formed the "Dúo Pérez-Rodríguez" with his then wife, and continued his professional relationship with her long after their divorce) and singing solo. He was given the nickname, "La Voz" (The Voice), a name which was to stay with him for the rest of his life, by Puerto Rican radio announcer Mariano Artau. Héctor Lavoe's stage name was based on Rodríguez's nickname. n 1952, he recorded the following songs: * "La Ultima Copa" (The Last Cup), a tango recorded as a bolero (and one of several such crossover hits Rodríguez and others recorded), * "Golondrina Viajera", * "Los Reyes no Llegaron" (The Three Wise Men did not Arrive), a poignant Christmas song written by Esteban Taronjí, and * "Esta Navidad" (This Christmas) Rodriguez went on tour in the United States where he broke the previous attendance and ticket records set for the Hispanic audience by Argentine singer Libertad Lamarque. In 1954, Rodriguez met Pedro Ortiz Davila "Davilita" and formed a very successful duo. Even though "Davilita"'s voice was not as sharp as it was when he was younger, they were able to have many hits together, particularly the Pedro Flores song "La Rosa Blanca" (The White Rose). In the 1960s, they, together with Rafael Cortijo and El Gran Combo confronted the new wave of rock music which was invading the island head-on. In 1959, Rodriguez became the first Puerto Rican to sing the Puerto Rican national anthem, La Borinqueña, at a sporting event, celebrated at Madison Square Garden in New York City, where fellow Puerto Rican Carlos Ortiz won the World Jr. Welterweight boxing title and, which was televised coast to coast in the United States. Rodríguez, as a matter of fact, was an amateur boxer in his youth, was an occasional referee at amateur boxing matches, and was a scout for young boxing talent. all of which became hits and are now considered as classics in Puerto Rico.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• FELIPE
• RODRIGUEZ
• EL
• TRIO
• LOS
• ANTARES
• Quinto
• Patio
• Felipe
• La Voz
• Puerto Rico
• bolero
• guitarra
• romantic
• Raúl Balseiro
• Pedrito Berríos
• Rafael
• Scharon.
• Caguas
• Savarona