Ariel Ramírez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ariel Ramírez
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Ramírez in 1968
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| Born | 4 September 1921 Santa Fe, Argentina
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| Died | 18 February 2010 (aged 88) Monte Grande, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Ariel Ramírez (born September 4, 1921 – died February 18, 2010) was a famous Argentine composer, pianist, and music director. He was known as a top artist in Argentine folk music. His musical pieces are very well-known.
Ramírez is most famous for his work called Misa Criolla (which means Creole Mass), created in 1964. This piece helped him become known around the world. He traveled across Europe and Latin America, building his fame. During his career, he wrote over 300 musical pieces and sold millions of albums.
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Biography
Ariel Ramírez was born in Santa Fe, Argentina. His father came from Spain and moved to Argentina. He was a teacher, and people thought Ariel might follow in his footsteps. However, Ariel's teaching job only lasted two days because of "discipline problems."
He first tried tango music. But soon, he switched to Argentine folk music. He started learning piano in Santa Fe. He quickly became very interested in the music of the gauchos (Argentine cowboys) and creoles (people of European descent born in Latin America) who lived in the mountains. He continued his studies in Córdoba. There, he met the great Argentine folk singer and songwriter Atahualpa Yupanqui, who greatly influenced him.
Yupanqui suggested that Ramírez visit the northeastern part of Argentina. This trip helped him learn more about the traditional rhythms of South America. He spent time in Mendoza and Buenos Aires. At the same time, he kept studying to be a composer at the National Conservatory of Music in Buenos Aires.
He made his first music recording in 1946 with RCA. He recorded twenty albums with RCA until 1956. Many famous artists have recorded his music, including Plácido Domingo, José Carreras, and Mercedes Sosa.
Ramírez later studied classical music in Madrid, Rome, and mostly in Vienna, from 1950 to 1954. When he returned to Argentina, he collected over 400 folk and country songs. He then started his own group called the Compañía de Folklore Ariel Ramírez.
Ramírez had two daughters, Mariana and Laura, and one son, Facundo. He was married to Norma Inés Cuello de Ramírez, who was a music expert.
Compositions
In 1964, Ariel Ramírez created Misa Criolla. This started a very busy time for him, where he wrote many famous pieces. Other works from this period include Navidad Nuestra and La Peregrinación (both 1964), Los Caudillos (1965), Mujeres Argentinas (1969), and Alfonsina y el mar (1969). He worked with writer Félix Luna on all these pieces. Misa Criolla and Alfonsina y el mar are probably his most famous songs.
Misa Criolla
Misa Criolla was one of the first masses (a type of church music) that was not sung in Latin. This was allowed after the Second Vatican Council let Catholic churches use local languages. The Washington Post newspaper said that Misa Criolla is "a stunning artistic achievement." It mixes Spanish words with local instruments and rhythms. Millions of copies of the album were sold worldwide.
Ramírez once told The Jerusalem Post how he got the idea for Misa Criolla. After World War II, he visited Germany. There, he met two sisters who risked their lives to bring food to Nazi prisoners. This made him want to write "a spiritual piece," which later became Misa Criolla.
The Misa is a 16-minute Mass for singers, a chorus, and traditional instruments. It uses folk music styles like chacarera, carnavalito, and estilo pampeano. It also has influences and instruments from the Andes mountains. Ramírez wrote the piece from 1963 to 1964. It was recorded in 1965 by Philips Records, with Ramírez himself directing. The group Los Fronterizos were the main performers.
The Misa Criolla was first performed in public in 1967 in Düsseldorf, Germany. This was during a European tour that led Ariel Ramírez to meet Pope Paul VI. Other famous recordings feature the voices of George Dalaras (1989), José Carreras (1990), and Mercedes Sosa (1999). Plácido Domingo recorded a part of the Misa called the Kyrie in 2003. On December 12, 2014, the Misa Criolla was performed in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. This was at the invitation of Pope Francis. Patricia Sosa was the main singer, and Facundo Ramírez, Ariel's son, conducted the performance.
"Alfonsina y el mar"
While Alfonsina y el mar (which means Alfonsina and the Sea) is not as famous worldwide as Misa Criolla, it is very popular in Latin America and Spain. It is one of the most loved songs in Argentine folk music. Many famous artists have recorded this song. These include Mercedes Sosa, Nana Mouskouri, Violeta Parra, Alfredo Kraus, Avishai Cohen, and José Carreras. Other popular singers like Shakira, Ane Brun, Miguel Bosé, Andrés Calamaro, and Paloma San Basilio have also sung it.
Other Compositions
Ramírez wrote other important pieces too. These include the Cantata Sudamericana (1972), which also had words by Félix Luna. He also wrote another mass called the "Mass for Peace and Justice" (1981). This mass is also quite well-known. Overall, he wrote more than 300 musical pieces during his career. With Félix Luna, he created hits for Mercedes Sosa, such as Mujeres Argentinas (Argentine Women). This song was about women fighting for their freedom.
Ramírez also composed music for the Spanish film director Carlos Saura's TV film El Sur. This film was based on a short story called El Sur by the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges.
Society of Authors and Composers of the Argentine Republic
Ramírez was first chosen to be the president of the Society of Authors and Composers of the Argentine Republic (SADAIC) in 1970. He served two terms, each lasting four years. He was elected president again in 1993 and stayed in that role until 2004. He had to step down because of health problems. When he passed away, he was still the chairman of the organization's advisory board.
Death
Ariel Ramírez got pneumonia in early 2010. He passed away from it on February 18, 2010, in a clinic in Monte Grande. He was 88 years old. His wake was held in the Argentine National Congress building. He was buried at Chacarita Cemetery on February 21, 2010. Singer Patricia Sosa said he was "the biggest folklore composer in History." She added, "The whole world cries the death of such a beautiful gentleman."
See Also
In Spanish: Ariel Ramírez para niños
