Genres Nicaraguan Years active 1948–present | Instruments Vocals, Guitar Name Otto la | |
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Birth name Otto Benjamin de la Rocha Lopez Occupation(s) Singer, composeer, radio actor Associated acts Camilo Zapata, Jorge Isaac Carvallo | ||
El muchacho tonto (Otto de la Rocha) Requinto.wmv
Otto Benjamin de la Rocha Lopez (born 23 August 1933 in Jinotega, Nicaragua), is a well known Nicaraguan singer, songwriter and radio actor, best known for his characterization of the picaresque persona Aniceto Prieto.
Contents
- El muchacho tonto Otto de la Rocha Requintowmv
- Managua linda managua de otto de la rocha
- Biography
- Early life
- Pancho Madrigal
- Career in Radio Program Production
- List of radio programs
- List of top tracks
- Acknowledgements
- References
Managua linda managua de otto de la rocha
Biography
Otto de la Rocha was born to Benjamin de la Rocha and Graciela Lopez in Jinotega, Nicaragua on 23 August 1933. Although he never studied music, he inherited his love of music from his maternal grandfather, Juan Fajardo, who was a relation to the father of brothers Carlos and Luis Enrique Mejia Godoy.
He has been married three times and has fathered 10 children. He works alongside his current wife, radio actress Georgina Valdivia, appearing together in radio plays and television commercials.
Early life
At 13 years of age de la Rocha travelled to the capital Managua in search of a radio station where he would be able to perform- even though at the time it was extremely difficult to break into the then newly available radio broadcasting.
According to de la Rocha in 1948 he began to find fame via the broadcast of "Voz de la Victoria" (The Voice of Victory) on an amateur talent program hosted by the well known baccalaureate Oscar Perez Valdivia, after he began to listen to the music of Nicaraguan greats such as Camilo Zapata.
Pancho Madrigal
It was thanks to this trio that de la Rocha was able to create one of the characters that would bring him nationwide fame. After the three performed on a live radio program hosted by radio entrepreneur Fabio Gadea Mantilla, he was asked to read a script in the style of a peasant farmer- thus "Pancho Madrigal" was born. The program, also called Pancho Madrigal, was broadcast on Radio Mundial (Worldwide Radio), replacing the character Tio Popo played by Rodolfo Arana Sandigo who, due to health issues, was unable to continue performing.
The program was subsequently transferred to Radio Corporacion where de la Rocha continued to work for 20 years. de la Rocha continued creating much loved characters, the most well known of which include Aniceto Prieto (an annoying native, according to de la Rocha), Indio Filomeno (the protagonist of another radio program which is also broadcast on television), Filito, as well as La Chepona, Mustafa the Turk and Policarpio Matute among others.
The character of Aniceto Prieto is much loved in Nicaragua, according to de la Rocha.
"the name can me translated into many languages: 'Anice Price' in English, 'Anicetof Pietrovich' in Parluski, 'Anicete Petrua' in Fransua, 'Anicetini Pietronini' in Italianini and Aniceto Prieto in Chapiollo."Due to his work on the program "El Indio Filomeno" de la Rocha was sued on three occasions by the then head of National Guard radio and television Colonel Alberto Luna Solorzano.
de la Rocha maintained that the program did not express the names of figures from the then present era of repressive politics in Nicaragua.
"...but I would say 'Sodom and Gomorra, get the point Somoza', so colonel Luna Solorzano would call me before he would sue me to say 'Don't think that we're stupid, because we know perfectly well who you're talking about and we know you're badmouthing the Guard."He recalls that at Radio Corporacion he, along with Carlos Mejia Godoy, ran a program called "Corporito" and
"...it was there he (Luna Solorzano) finally got me, but since Carlos owned the program he got stuck with the first fine in 1965."The fine was for 10,000 cordobas ($1,428 USD at the time), which the populous helped to fund out of affection for the characters and actors.
Career in Radio Program Production
After the triumph of the Sandinista Revolution in 1979, de la Rocha created a program called "El tronco de los mensajeros " (The Messenger's Trunk) at the recently opened "Radio Sandino", as well as an agricultural program for farmers.
In 1982 he transferred to radio broadcasting station "Voz de Nicaragua" (Voice of Nicaragua) with the programs "La Palomita Mensajera " (The Messenger Bird) and "Lencho Catarran ". In 1990 he and his programs moved to Radio Ya.
In "Lencho Catarran", his current wife plays the role of "Lupita", whom his character Aniceto Prieto is constantly trying to seduce. He and Lupita together appear in various television commercials.
In his musical career, de la Rocha has composed at least 100 songs, although he hasn't recorded them all. His repertoire comprises only around 30 tracks. They include: "Una Cancion", "La Pelo’e Mais", "Managua, linda Managua", "A Mi Mama", "Primera Dama", "Plutarco Malpaisillo", "Soledad", "El Peon", "Pancho Madrigal", "Lencho Catarran" and "Amor Florecido", among others.
Some of his tracks have gained international recognition. His track "Una Cancion" from the album of the same name was covered by Cuban singer Elsa Baeza in 1978 which gained her a golden disc in Spain; however, de la Rocha did not receive any recognition as the composer.
de la Rocha is currently living in Managua where he continues his work in music and radio.