Juan García de Zéspedes facts for kids

Juan García de Zéspedes (born around 1619 – died August 5, 1678) was a talented musician from Mexico. He was a composer, a singer, a viol player, and a teacher. A viol is an old musical instrument, similar to a cello.

About Juan García de Zéspedes

Juan García de Zéspedes was likely born in Puebla, a city in Mexico. When he was a boy in 1630, he sang soprano in the choir at Puebla Cathedral. His teacher there was Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla.

Later, in 1664, Juan García de Zéspedes took over as the main music director, or maestro, at the cathedral. This was first a temporary job, but by 1670, he became the permanent maestro. He had a long career at the cathedral. Sometimes, he had disagreements with the church leaders about his duties. His career ended when he became paralyzed later in his life. He passed away in Puebla.

Juan García de Zéspedes wrote many different kinds of music. Some of his pieces were sacred, meaning they were for church services. Other pieces were secular, which means they were not religious. These secular songs were often inspired by folk music, which is traditional music from a region.

Musical Works

Here are some of the musical pieces composed by Juan García de Zéspedes:

• Convidando está la noche (on Youtube)
• A la mar va mi Niña
• Plange quasi virgo plebs mea
• Salve regina
• Guaracha: Ay Que Me Abraso

See also

In Spanish: Juan García de Zéspedes para niños