Alfredo Zitarrosa

Uruguayan folk icon Alfredo Zitarrosa spent his early years in the small town of Santiago Vázquez. An elementary school teacher sparked his interest in classical and traditional music during his youth. In 1958 Alfredo Zitarrosa’s writing skills earned first place in a local poetry contest, after which he made his singing debut in Peru on Tulio Loza’s Show with performances of “Guitarrero” and “Milonga Para una Niña.” His first songwriting effort, the zamba “Recordandote,” appeared in 1960 and was later popularized by los Chalchaleros. After returning to Uruguay he took positions as an announcer and journalist while maintaining his musical work. On July 20, 1970, the singer/songwriter achieved a successful live debut in Buenos Aires, after which his songs reached audiences across Latin America. In February of 1976 he entered exile, residing for a time in Argentina, Spain, and Mexico before returning to Uruguay in March of 1984. The musician died in January of 1989.