Fresia Raquel Saavedra Gómez known as Fresia Saavedra (born 8 September 1933) is an Ecuadorian teacher, singer and songwriter. UNESCO's representative list of pasillo singing includes a video of a lesson by Saacedra. Pasillo was included in the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2021.[1]
Fresia Saavedra | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Fresia Raquel Saavedra Gómez 8 September 1933 |
| Nationality | Ecuadorian |
| Occupation(s) | teacher, singer and songwriter |
| Spouse | Washington Murillo |
| Children | Hilda Murillo |
Life edit
Saavedra was born in the city of Guayaquil on 8 September 1933.[2] Her parents were Susana Gómez and Julio Saavedra. Her father was a violinist, and he took her age five to sing at a radio station, where she won applause. By the time she was twelve she was being paid monthly by Radio Cóndor to sing.[3]
Saavedra and Blanca Palomeque recorded under the name Las Porteñitas. It was her first recording, and it sold well.[3] Saavedra composes tunes using a recorder. There are over three dozen, with "El ladrón" ("The Thief") being one of the best-known.[3]
She married Wacho Murillo,[3] and in 1951, her daughter Hilda Murillo was born. When Hilda was seven she was singing with the Orquesta América[4] and when she was nine she and her were singing duets.[5]
The well-known singer Julio Jaramillo recorded his first songs as duets with her. She was also known for writing marches for political figures to use during elections. She wrote one for several including Abdalá Bucaram, Sixto Durán Ballén and José María Velasco Ibarra.[3]
In 2013, when she was eighty, a musical celebration was held in her honour. It was held at the Teatro Centro de Arte (Art Center Theater), and when she got up to sing, the audience also stood to honor her. She said she had lost count of how many songs she had recorded. She had retired from teaching in school, but she was still helping wannabe singers at the Escuela del Pasillo, which is part of the Julio Jaramillo Music Museum.[2]
In August 2015 her career was recognised when she was given a medal by Ecuador's Ministry of Culture together with Guillermo Rodríguez. Eduardo Miño, Danilo Miño, Consuelo Vargas, Sofocles Coello, Eduardo Morales, Victor Galarza and Naldo Campos.[6]
In 2018 she and her daughter sang at the Museum de Pasillo in Quito where people had gathered to recognise the 87 year old singer Héctor Jaramillo.[7]
UNESCO's representative list of pasillo singing includes a video of a lesson by Saacedra. Pasillo was included in the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2021.[1]
References edit
- ^ a b "UNESCO - Pasillo, song and poetry". ich.unesco.org. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
- ^ a b "Fresia Saavedra, 80 años de la voz de Guayaquil". El Universo (in Spanish). 2013-10-03. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
- ^ a b c d e "Fresia Saavedra: Su vida como un pasillo | La Revista | EL UNIVERSO". www.larevista.ec (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-02-16.
- ^ "Hilda Murillo cumple 55 años en la música". El Universo (in Spanish). 2013-12-02. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
- ^ Dávila, Estéfano (2018-12-02). "Los 60 años de carrera musical de Hilda Murillo". El Comercio (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-02-16.
- ^ "Músicos reciben reconocimiento a trayectoria artística en el Ecuador por parte del Ministerio de Cultura y Patrimonio – Ministerio de Cultura y Patrimonio". www.culturaypatrimonio.gob.ec. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
- ^ "Presidencia de la República del Ecuador » Reconocidos artistas nacionales fueron homenajeados en el Museo del Pasillo". www.presidencia.gob.ec. Retrieved 2024-02-16.