Cause of death Heart attack Role Playwright Name Jose Cabrujas | Years active 1961–1995 Nationality Venezuelan | |
 | ||
Full Name Jose Ignacio Cabruja Lofiego Alma mater Universidad Central de Venezuela Occupation Film director, producer, actor, screenwriter, soap opera\'s writer Died October 21, 1995, Porlamar, Venezuela Spouse Isabel Palacios (m. 1985–1990), Eva Ivanyi (m. 1976–1984), Democracia Lope (m. 1960–1965) Children Juan Francisco Cabruja, Diego Cabruja Parents Jose Ramon Cabruja Esteso, Matilde Lofiego Movies El Pez que Fuma, Araya, La quema de Judas, Amanecio de golpe Similar People Roman Chalbaud, Isabel Palacios, Margot Benacerraf, Carlos Azpurua | ||
José Ignacio Cabruja Lofiego (July 17, 1937 – October 21, 1995, Porlamar, Margarita Island) was a Venezuelan playwright, theater director, chronicler, soap opera writer, drama librettist, screenplay writer, radio moderator, humanist and political campaigns designer. He is considered one of the founders and innovators of the modern telenovela genre in Latin America, and is called the "Maestro de las Telenovelas."
Contents
- Biography
- Printed and electronic publications about his life and work
- Selected filmography
- Telenovelas
- References
Biography
José Ignacio Cabrujas was born in Caracas, Venezuela. He spent his childhood in the Caracas neighborhood of Catia. His parents were José Ramón Cabruja Esteso and Matilde Lofiego of Cabruja. His original name is "Cabruja" so he was changed when he a story emerged during his tenure in the Teatro Universitario (TU). The confusion arises from the renowned journalist Lorenzo Batallán, who published a note on the Cabrujas' performance at TU, adding an "S". Apparently the young actor was pleased, and decided to continue using the 'S', so he came to be known as "José Ignacio Cabrujas."
After reading Les Miserables by Victor Hugo as a youth, he decided to be a writer. In fact, he couldn't stop crying and was so involved in his exaltation that he said: "This is what I want to do in life; these letters, these pages have produced in me all this emotion ...it's a miracle; I want to be part of that miracle."
In 1946, his sister Martha Cabruja [2] was born. Today she is involved in the plastic arts.
In 1956, thanks to a grant, he began studying law at the Universidad Central de Venezuela. After two years of studying law, his second brother, Francisco Cabrujas, was born (Today, he is involved in film and soap opera's scoring). But José Ignacio's sudden entrance in the university theater revealed his true vocation, and so he left the University.
He married three times: to Democracia Lopez (1960-1965), to Eva Ivanyi [3] (who was his costume maker and producer), and the famous Venezuelan singer, musicologist and choral director Isabel Palacios (1985 - 1990). He had 2 sons: Juan Francisco Cabruja (1961) and Diego Cabruja (1987).
A man of immense culture and wit, he had a passion for opera, theater and literature.