RAFAEL HERNANDEZ - Lamento Borincano

Rafael Hernández (October 24, 1892 December 11, 1965), is considered by many to be the greatest composer of Puerto Rican music. Hernández (birth name: Rafael Hernández Marín) was born in the town of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, into a poor family. As a child, he learned the craft of cigar making, from which he made a modest living. He also grew to love music and asked his parents to permit him to become a full-time music student. When he was 12 years old, Hernández studied music in San Juan, under the guidance of music professors Jose Ruellan Lequenica and Jesús Figueroa. He learned to play many musical instruments, among them the clarinet, tuba, violin, piano and guitar. However, according to many Puerto Rican music historians, it was when he learned how to write music that his life and the history of Puerto Rican music would change forever. [1] At the age of 14, he played for the Cocolia Orquestra. Hernández moved to San Juan where he played for the municipal orchestra under the director Manuel Tizol. n 1917, Rafael Hernández was working as a musician in North Carolina, when the U.S. entered World War I. The Jazz bandleader James Reese Europe recruited brothers Rafael and Jesús Hernández, and 16 more Puerto Ricans to join the United States Army's Harlem Hell fighters musical band, the Orchestra Europe. He enlisted and was assigned to the U.S. 369th Infantry Regiment (formerly known as the 15th Infantry Regiment, New York National Guard, created in New York City June 2, 1913). The regiment, was nicknamed "The Harlem Hell Fighters" by the Germans, served in France. Hernandez toured Europe with the Orchestra Europe. The 369th was awarded French Croix de Guerre for battlefield gallantry by the President of France.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Rafael
• Hernandez
• Lamento
• Borincano
• Puerto Rico
• piano
• instrumental
• bolero
• New York
• Aguadilla
• Harlem Hell Fighters
• love song
• nyc
• Barrio
• romantic music
• patriota

[annanoli]

Yes,the italian words were by Borla-Simeoni.Probably Hernandez was uncredited because of the fascist authority who held a strong control on foreign origin music at that time,prohibiting the broadcasting of not italian music. That's why

[ramoburg]

@annanoli "Lamento Borincano" is like a National Anthem to Puerto Ricans. It is famous worldwide. The credits to this song "Cantando Sotto la Luna" should be corrected.

[annanoli]

Please check the post

Ernesto Bonino & Trio Lescano-Cantando Sotto la Luna-1942

it's the same version of the song in italian,many years ago

[ramoburg]

@annanoli The song that you mention "Cantando Sotto la Luna" is an italian version of Rafael Hernandez "Lamento Borincano" which was written in 1929. No credit was given to Rafael Hernandez in this song. I don't know why.

The italian lyrics are not by Rafael Hernandez but the music is his.

[Snowintosh]

Borinquen... te prometo que nunca te dejare ser ESTADO. Te lo prometo. No te perdere.

[lovelife2012x]

Un gran orgullo Boricua Rafael Hernandez. Que Dios nos siga bendiciendo.

[TheSUKUTRUKU]

Uno que dio dislike no es boricua.

[CFITOMAHAWK2]

@macrom12 This is a 1929 Puerto rican song. The version done in Italian is from 1940's, not vice versa.

By the way, the famous "Mambo Italiano" (1958) is another song that made millions up to this day think that Mambo is Italian. Mambo is from Cuba (1947) They love to lie. Another one, Pasta is just Lo Mein that was brought to Italy from China by Marco Polo. Lies and more lies. Tomato Sause is from Central America. But the worse one. Columbus discovered India not America. Where is MumbayUSA

[sileray777]

Te amo Borinquen!! Perla del Caribe! ! isla del encanto! yo seria boricua aunque naciera en la luna!

[macrom12]

RAFAEL HERNANDEZ the real composer of this masterpiece made by the tears of his soul, maybe created this piece when he knew that some oportunistic italian piece of shit counterfiet his song and make the italians think that this was his.

God have you in glory along side the others great musicians of history, GOD BLESS

[mariferglz]

solo lo pude tocar alguien asi es 1 compositor consumado

[ClaudiaCelina1]

LA BELLA MELODÍA DE UNA TRISTE LETRA

[joselian1]

Its true im Puertorrican and i realy aprecciate how the people know about Rafael hernandez and his music...

[annanoli]

i discovered this fact only a few days ago. i'm a researcher for the history of the italian vocal trio lescano. i'll try to update the infos we got. i'll let you know