Cayetano Alberto Silva
| Cayetano Alberto Silva | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Born |
August 7, 1868 San Carlos, Uruguay |
| Died | January 12, 1920 (aged 51) Rosario, Argentina |
| Genres | Marches |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, Composer |
| Instruments | Horn, Violin |
| Years active | 1894–1920 |
Cayetano Alberto Silva (August 7, 1868 — January 12, 1920) was an Uruguayan musician, naturalized Argentine, and author; his work includes the San Lorenzo march, the official march of the Argentine army.
Silva was born on August 17, 1868, in the department of Maldonado in San Carlos, Uruguay. His mother was Natalia Silva, a black slave of the family who gave her the surname. Cayetano Silva studied with Francisco Rinaldi of the Popular Band of San Carlos. In 1879, he attended the School of Arts and Crafts of Montevideo, where he joined its music band directed by Gerardo Grasso, who taught him music theory, horn, and violin. In 1888, he left the school to attend social centers of workers' agitation, theaters, and music conservatories in Montevideo.
In 1889, he traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he ventured to the Teatro Colón and attended the School of Music directed by Pablo Berutti. He later moved to the city of Rosario, Province of Santa Fe; on February 1, 1894, he was appointed director of the Seventh Infantry Regiment band. In Rosario, he married Filomena Santanelli, with whom he raised eight children.
Silva and his family moved to Venado Tuerto in 1898 after being hired by the Italian Society of Venado Tuerto. He founded a lyrical center, taught music, and created a rondalla—an ensemble of plucked string instruments—with which he performed during the Carnival of 1900. He wrote the music for the plays Canillita and Cedulas de San Juan for his compatriot friend Florencio Sánchez; both works were premiered in Rosario.
On July 8, 1901, at his home in Venado Tuerto, he composed a march dedicated to Colonel Pablo Ricchieri, then war minister of that country and modernizer of the Argentine army. Ricchieri thanked him for the homage, but requested the title be changed to San Lorenzo, the city where Riccheri was born. The march was publicly performed for the first time on October 30, 1902, in San Lorenzo, in the vicinity of the historic San Carlos Convent, where the Battle of San Lorenzo took place. That day, the march was designated the official march of the Argentine Army. Two days after, Silva played it again at the opening ceremony for the monument to General San Martín in Plaza San Martín (Rosario), in the presence of President Julio Argentino Roca and Ricchieri.
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