Felipe Pirela: 52 years since the murder of the bolero singer from America

• The singer managed to position himself as one of the most sought-following artists in the United States and was the first Venezuelan in history to sell more than a million records | Main photo: Courtesy

One of the Venezuelans who had the greatest impact on the musical scene with his voice was Felipe Antonio Pirela Morón, who was born in the El Empedrao neighborhood of Maracaibo (Zulia state) on September 4, 1941.

Despite having managed to establish himself as one of the singers who sold the most records in the history of Venezuela, Felipe Pirela, who was also known as the bolero singer of America, was the victim of a murder that ended his life on July 2, 1972.

His family has always shown that Felipe Pirela showed his musical inclination from a very early age. His father, Felipe Antonio Pirela Monsalve, was a bricklayer, while Lucía Morón, his mother, was a housewife and merchant.

The artist was part of a group called Los Happy Boys, which also included two of his brothers and several neighbours from the neighbourhood where he was born. At that time they performed songs that were made popular by singers such as Alfredo Sadel, Olga Guillot and Lucho Gatica.

As happened with many singers who wanted to become known, Felipe Pirela made his debut in the television show “El show de las doce” (The Twelve O’Clock Show), broadcast by Radio Caracas Televisión (RCTV). In 1957, he traveled to the Venezuelan capital and obtained third place in one of the contests he entered.

In 1958, he became one of the first regular artists to appear on the regional radio station Ondas del Lago TV, which broadcast from the state of Zulia. He was also part of the orchestra of the Spaniard Juan “Juanito” Arteta, who was also known as The Golden Trumpet of America. In July of that year, he returned to Caracas and began working in nightclubs and at the radio station Radio Caracas Radio (RCR).

Felipe Pirela with Maestro Billo and Cheo García. Photo: Courtesy

Felipe Pirela’s professional career

Felipe Pirela’s professional career as a singer began in 1959, when he was hired by the Argentine Jorge Beltrán, director of the Orquesta los Peniques. In that group he shared the stage with other singers who were already established in the musical world, such as Víctor Piñero, Nila Valdez and David Montes de Oca.

In that first production, Pirela recorded two songs written by Carlos Guerra, “Entre copa y copa” and “No sufras, corazón”. The album Carnival with the Pennies It went on sale in February 1960, under the Discomoda label, owned by César Roldán.

In May 1960, maestro Billo Frómeta was preparing his return to Venezuela following being in Cuba for a period of two years, due to a veto he received from the Musical Association of the Capital District and the State of Miranda. The Dominican musician heard Pirela on one occasion and was interested in hiring him to be part of Billo’s Caracas Boys as a bolero singer.

“Jorge Beltrán brought him (Felipe Pirela) to Caracas with the desire to include him in the orchestra. Of course, Los Peniques was a very large orchestra, it had five singers. It was perhaps one of the largest orchestras that ever existed. But (Jorge) did not give Felipe many opportunities, which prevented him from emerging. I needed a bolero singer, and knowing that Felipe Pirela might do a very good job, I asked Jorge to lend him to me,” declared Billo Frómeta in an interview given in 1980.

The director of the Billo’s Caracas Boys orchestra hired Felipe Pirela on June 14, 1960 to be part of the front line of singers of his group, along with Cheo García and Yayo Montes. According to statements made by García, maestro Billo counted on the services of Yayo Montes for a short time. For this reason, the Dominican musician decided to stay with Pirela and Cheo García, a duo that became one of the most successful in the history of that orchestra.

Photo: Courtesy of Gladys Palmera

“Felipe joined my orchestra. And look how young he was, I didn’t pay Felipe’s salary to him, because his mother asked me to give it to her through a sister who was a nurse and worked in Caracas. But then, one day Felipe asked me to give his money to him, to which I gladly agreed because it seemed the most logical thing to do,” added Frómeta.

Felipe Pirela’s first recording with Billo’s Caracas Boys was a bolero composed by Orlando de la Rosa, entitled “No vale la pena”. This song appeared on a 45 revolutions per minute (RPM) single. On July 2, 1960, the singer of Zulia origin debuted with Maestro Billo’s orchestra at the Centro Gallego in the El Paraíso Urbanization (Caracas).

The next two productions that Pirela recorded with Billo’s earned him recognition as a new artist in 1960. In November of that year the album was released Paulain which the Zulian recorded songs such as “Caraqueñita” (by Manuel Caraballo Gramcko), “Amor de mis amores” and “Solamente una vez” (by Agustín Lara). But the success he achieved with the song “Puerto Cabello” (by Ítalo Pizzolante) made him gain notoriety.

Also, the long-playing record Communicating (December 1960) brought with it the record figure of 130 thousand copies sold in its first weeks of release. In that work, Pirela lent his voice to the songs “Por la vuelta” (by José Tinelli and Enrique Cadícamo) and “Para qué recordar” (by María Grever).

His consolidation with Billo’s

The year 1961 marked the artist’s consolidation alongside Billo Frómeta’s orchestra. In April of that year his third production with Billo’s Caracas Boys was released, entitled Poor of the poor (by Adolfo Salas). There he also performed the boleros “Espera, quisqueyana” (by Billo Frómeta) and “Tristeza marina” (by José Dames and Horacio Sanguinetti).

He also participated in the album that won the Guaicaipuro de Oro award in 1960. Aware of the interpretive quality and sales power that Felipe Pirela had, maestro Billo decided to make a production with his string orchestra so that the singer from Maracaibo might put his voice as a soloist. This was the only time that the Dominican musician made a production of this type with his regular singers. This is how in September 1961 the LP (long playing time) went on sale. Songs from yesterday and today.

In November 1961, Billo’s Caracas Boys published the fourth album in which Pirela participated. Three gifts It was the first LP in which the orchestra had three singers from Maracaibo: Felipe Pirela, Cheo García and Joe Urdaneta. There, the bolero singer sang the song “Quisqueya” (by Rafael Hernández).

Between 1962 and 1963, Felipe Pirela spent his last years with the group led by Billo Frómeta, since it became known in the press that the bolero singer received numerous offers from record companies to become a soloist.

In February 1962, a single with the song “Imágenes” (by Frank Domínguez) went on sale; in April, Pirela participated in the album of the award Golden Guaicaipuro; in May, the Billo’s orchestra presented to the public the danzón “El son se fue de Cuba” (by Billo Frómeta); in July, the bolero singer was part of the LP History of my orchestrawith which Maestro Billo paid tribute to his own group; and in November 1962, it was released on the market Tonight… Billowhich referred to a television program of the same name.

In 1963, his last two works with Billo’s were published, which were entitled Billo on Phonogram y Mosaic tenOn this last LP, Felipe Pirela recorded two hits that brought in a very significant sales volume. The songs “Sombras nada más” (by José María Contursi and Francisco Lomuto) and “El malquerido” (by Waldik Soriano, José Goncálves and Jorge Quiroz) were part of Pirela’s repertoire throughout his career.

Photo: Courtesy

His career as a soloist

In August 1963, the bolero singer left Billo Frómeta’s group to begin his solo career. He signed a contract with the Velvet record company, owned by José Pagé, who christened Felipe Pirela as the bolero singer of America.

One Way: Mexico (December 1963), marked the starting point for the singer’s internationalization. There he recorded hits such as “De la gloria al olvido” and “¡Qué manera de llorar!”, both songs written by Mario de Jesús; and “Vieja carta”, by Salvador Flores.

In July 1964, Felipe Pirela recorded an album that still remains a sales record in the musical history of Venezuela. Only you (by Manuel Sincerely Acuña) sold more than 500 thousand copies. In that production he also sang “Bendita tú” (by José Sabre Marroquín); “Un cigarro, la lluvia y tú” (by Alberto Cortés) and “Ese bolero es mío” (by Mario de Jesús).

In September of that year he married a teenager who was 10 years older than Felipe Pirela, whose name was Mariela Montiel. She appeared on the cover of the third LP that Pirela recorded as a soloist, which went on sale in December 1964 and was titled Between your love and my love (by Juan Pomati and Leopoldo Diaz).

During the 1965 carnivals, Pirela returned to Caracas and performed with the accompaniment of Porfi Jiménez’s orchestra. These performances served to promote his album Romance and rhythm (February 1965). In June of that year his daughter Lennys Pirela was born. In July 1965 the album was released Without her (a song by José Sabre Marroquín).

In 1966, Pirela was awarded several international recognitions such as the Puerto Rican Critics’ Trophy and the New York Critics’ Trophy. In June of that year, he released the album When you live with me (composed by José Alfredo Jiménez). After the release of this album, Pirela became the first Venezuelan to achieve a million copies sold.

Photo: Courtesy

However, when he was at the peak of his career, he divorced Mariela Montiel in terms that were described as “scandalous.” The teenager made statements that cast doubt on the singer’s sexual orientation. From that moment on, Felipe Pirela’s image in Venezuela was not the same.

He began to spend less time in the country and came sporadically to see his daughter. Luis Armando Ugueto, who became Felipe Pirela’s official biographer following publishing the book What life is (Santillana publishing house), described the singer as one of the Venezuelans who has sold the most records.

“Felipe was the first Venezuelan singer to sell more than a million copies inside and outside Venezuela. He was one of the most sought-following Latin artists in the United States, in cities like Chicago and New York. In American cities where there was a Latin audience, Felipe was the king,” said Ugueto in an interview with Globovision in 2009.

In January 1972, the artist settled permanently in Puerto Rico. From there, he traveled weekly to the United States to fulfill work commitments. When Pirela left a performance at a nightclub called “El molino rojo,” he was intercepted by some subjects driving a vehicle. The singer was shot several times and died on July 2 of that year. He was 30 years old. His remains were brought to Venezuela via a charter flight and buried in Maracaibo, in the “Corazón de Jesús” cemetery.

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