Those who once saw him accompanied by orchestra will agree on what Mario Garena he had been born to be on stage. Owner of a temperamental tenor voice, histrionic to the point of paroxysm and possessing a privileged inspiration that led him to compose hundreds of songs to the rhythm of cumbia, ballad and bolero, the barranquillero was called to occupy an important seat within the Colombian musical life since the 50s to 1990s, A year in which he undertook an impossible campaign for the presidency of the Republic at the height of his popularity.
Despite the girl who made that quixotic campaign in her artistic prestige, the barranquillero had already left us a unique gift, an absolute piece of the national repertoire that would make him deserving of immortality. “It will be many years before a more beautiful cumbia is composed than I call myself cumbia. Mario Gareña he was its author and in addition his better interpreter. It is a pinnacle of Colombian popular music, “says music researcher Jaume Rico Salazar in his Dictionary of the popular song in Colombia. The only creation of this classic, immortalized in his voice and shortly after that of the Negra Gran, Leonor González Mine, Is already a seat to eternity for Garena.
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I call myself cumbia was born as a suggestion from his colleague Francisco zumaque, Seeking the composer to exalt our Caribbean rhythm. The piece was recorded in 1969 by its author, at a time when the artist was part of the catalog of the Philips label, Then came its final version, recorded by the Great Black of Colombia, Leonor González Mina. Zumak himself would record what was his first instrumental version, three years later, with the piano of Angel Macias.
Her lyrics, a model of poetry that draws to the rhythm of cumbia embodied in a haughty and dancing woman, did not take long to reach all territories, immediately becoming part of the repertoire of international artists such as the Mexican Linda Vera, the Venezuelan Tuli Enrique León, and virtually the entire pleiad of Colombian musicians, including Jaume Pla González, La Cumbia Soledeña, La Sonora Dinamita, La Integración, The Diplomats, Chico Cervantes, Totó la Momposina and Port Candelaria, among many others.
Today, no one would hesitate to place I call myself cumbia in the list of these historical songs considered ‘according to hymns’ of Colombia, among which are Colombia, beloved land, by Lucho Bermúdez, I am Colombian, By Rafael Godoy, and La piragua, by José Barros. Along with them, Garena’s creation awakens the most sincere patriotism, always sounded in dances and accompanied by the deepest nostalgia of compatriots in exile.
But Mario Garena is also disturbed by Colombian Andean music with songs like I am Mr. Bamboo, In llaneros lands with joropo Wild and for the bolero with More desire from you. The Venezuelan orchestra Billo ‘s Caracas Boys popularized their theme race, An allegation about the afro stereotype that, in the voice of Cheo García, managed to be part of all the dances in Venezuela and Colombia. Raça owns a sleazy letter, which as early as 1978 denounced everyday racist behavior: “And he just wants to humiliate-, / and he sees me as an enemy, / and I’m just his friend / when he wants fun … / Pa’que to play the trumpet, / pa’que to sing to him beautifully, / because he knows that I have the palette / taste “.
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From fame to ‘star’
Born in Barranquilla in September 1932, Jesús Arturo García Peña he had just reached the age of majority when the orchestra of Sebastià Solari, a legendary French conductor, composer of corridors and solvent trumpeter, despite losing some phalanxes in the Second World War, was headed to Cali. . It was 1951 and Garena was already the attraction of places like Club Colombia and Sant Ferran.
Ten years later it was released in the disc with Sonolux, in Medellín, recording in pair with his colleague paisa Frank Courteous a version in Spanish of an Italian subject in vogue at that time, Moon bronze, Renamed com Painted moon, With the very jazzy accompaniment of a quintet led by pianist Juancho Vargas. It was his gateway to the Sonolux Orchestra, conducted by Vargas himself and where he partied with singers such as Lita Nelson, Gladys Viera, Noel Petro and Antonio Gonzalez.
1961 was also the year of Mario Garena’s film debut, in supporting roles where he simply did what he knew best, which was singing. This first film was Seas of passion, Colombo-Cuban film by Spanish director Manuel de la Pedrosa who is seen, youthful and exultant, playing various songs, including one of his great tropical hits: How beautiful. Twelve years later it would return to happen through the celluloid a Cumbia, By Zacaries Gómez Urquiza, sharing credits with Óscar Golden, Fausto and Los Tres Hernández.
The time of Bogota de Garena meant its absolute success as crooner in different scenarios. The hotel Tequendama, El Grill Candilejas and many more had their services, and the public responded with euphoria to their charismatic appearances, dressed in open shirts with wide lapels and bell boots, much closer to the aesthetics of an Elvis Presley than to the of a tropical singer.
In 1966 was chosen like the most popular singer of Colombia, in contest headed by Snail Radio, and in 1970 represented Colombia in New York Latin American Song Festival and took first place with the beautiful ballad I leave you the city without me, Additional proof of the ductility of Garena to move by genres with absolute comfort. That same year the Chilean grouping Black Los Angeles, with the voice of Germa’n of the Source, took the subject to its greater popularity.
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Those were years when Garena fought alcoholism after a difficult divorce and the need to bring up her eight male children. There was a time when he always carried with him a bottle of brandy duly protected from prying eyes between newspapers, shared with fellow bohemians with whom they used to meet in restaurants and stadiums in downtown Bogota.
The anecdote of one of its possible “returns” to Alcoholics Anonymous is known, not to stay but to invite to drink to the rest of the concurrence. Witty and joking, Garena was also direct and tongue-tied, And he had no problem reprimanding the audience when he felt his performance was not being respected, or by interacting and joking with these same spectators when the time came.
In the 80’s, Garena’s presence on television music shows was a must, And in 1986 participated briefly in the successful series Gold, From the Colombian Television programmer, under the direction of Carles Duplat. In this production, that narrated the fictitious appearance of the treasure of the Gilded one in the lagoon of Guatavita and the ominous consequences of the greed between the settlers, Garena returned to imagine itself like composer of a cumbia, also called Gold, Who spoke to the precious metal as if it were a slippery lover: “When in my hands I had you / like a ray of light you illuminate me, / like a ray of light you are gone, / like a ray of light you disappear … / Because that’s how you are!” it was the singing that accompanied that TV series, rich in ratings and treasures of golden paper utensils.
Among these rare steps that united composition with a small screen, Garena created a cumbia called Concentre, inspired by the famous television contest of Julio I. Sánchez Vanegas, Included in a promotional album by its programmer, Producciones JES, by the orchestra of Ramon Ropaín, with the voice of the Cuban Tomás ‘Chiqui’ Tamayo. Part of his nice letter says: “Concentrate between eyebrows / so that the couple does it / and instead of staying at zero / it will earn a lot of money …”.
When popular tastes began to change and perhaps feeling that he could do much more for the country from another place, Garena decided to form a political community called Love movement for Colombia to run for president, probably knowing in advance that he had no chance and landing in a group of candidates who generated more curiosity than confidence, such as the mentalist Regina 11. He was accompanied as vice president formula the percussionist Chocoana Amparito, and from the television showcase that corresponded to him by right as a candidate there was little talk of a presidential program beyond to announce a law for the protection of the chigüiros, The secrets to get home an original sancocho costeño and the occasional intervention of Amparito on drums.
It was like going from fame to ‘star’: an erratic campaign based on the only argument of having known all of Colombia and its typical dishes led him to occupy the 11th place among 12 candidates, with just 2,400 votes. Disappointment led him to take refuge in the United States, where he had already left all his offspring. With some of his children he formed the group in Miami Gareñas Clan, Of fleeting existence.
After his religious conversion little else wanted to know of the scenes, although it continued composing songs which today are probably unpublished in some portfolio of his home in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he was surprised by death after a fall, at the age of 88.
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JAIME ANDRÉS MONSALVE *
SPECIAL FOR THE WEATHER
* Head of music of National Radio of Colombia
Other illustrious musicians who have left:
– Charlie Watts: profile of a discreet, neat and monogamous hero
– Died Brian Travers, saxophonist and founder of UB40
– Mourning for music: Catalino Parra, from Gaiters de Sant Jacint, died