Biography
Manuel Jimenez, widely recognized by his stage name Canario, stands among the earliest Puerto Rican composers, vocalists, and bandleaders to gain prominence across the United States. Between 1914 and 1964 he maintained an exceptionally busy recording schedule, even though he is celebrated less for the more than 1,000 romantic songs he claimed to have composed than for his role in popularizing the planero, an Afro-Puerto Rican form of tropical music. Born in Orocovis, Puerto Rico, he spent his childhood in Manati, where he labored for several sugar-processing firms before relocating to San Juan for an apprenticeship. Finding those duties exhausting, he sought escape and, at sixteen, stowed away on a vessel bound for Barcelona. After several months there he journeyed onward to the United States by way of Cuba, eventually settling in New York and joining the merchant marines.
His first release appeared on the Pathe label in 1914; additional sessions followed for Daniel Castilian in 1915 and Odeon in 1916. In 1918 he assembled a trio and launched a series of American tours, later cutting several numbers for RCA Victor in 1926. His greatest success arrived in the early 1930s. After returning to Puerto Rico in 1931, Canario and his ensemble undertook an extensive and well-received circuit of theaters, universities, and Ponce’s sports club. The next year brought further U.S. engagements at the Paramount, Roxy, Cotton Club, and Lido. The twenty tracks waxed that year for Victor and Columbia—among them “Santa Maria,” “Cuando las Mujeres Quieren los Hombres,” and “Cortaron A Elena”—later entered the canon of Latin music classics. In June 1949 he resettled permanently in Puerto Rico. During 1964 he taped additional material and gave concerts under the auspices of the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture Center. Diabetes was diagnosed in 1968, and he passed away seven years afterward.
His first release appeared on the Pathe label in 1914; additional sessions followed for Daniel Castilian in 1915 and Odeon in 1916. In 1918 he assembled a trio and launched a series of American tours, later cutting several numbers for RCA Victor in 1926. His greatest success arrived in the early 1930s. After returning to Puerto Rico in 1931, Canario and his ensemble undertook an extensive and well-received circuit of theaters, universities, and Ponce’s sports club. The next year brought further U.S. engagements at the Paramount, Roxy, Cotton Club, and Lido. The twenty tracks waxed that year for Victor and Columbia—among them “Santa Maria,” “Cuando las Mujeres Quieren los Hombres,” and “Cortaron A Elena”—later entered the canon of Latin music classics. In June 1949 he resettled permanently in Puerto Rico. During 1964 he taped additional material and gave concerts under the auspices of the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture Center. Diabetes was diagnosed in 1968, and he passed away seven years afterward.
Albums
Singles
