Wilfrido Vargas
| Wilfrido Vargas | |
|---|---|
Wilfrido Vargas in 2008
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Wilfrido Radamés Vargas Martínez |
| Born |
April 24, 1949 Altamira, Dominican |
| Genres | Merengue |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, trumpeter, actor |
| Instruments | Vocals, Trumpet |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Labels | Karen, Sonotone, Rodven, RCA Intl, Sony BMG |
| Associated acts | Johnny Ventura, Fania All-Stars, Denny Dias, Las Chicas del Can |
Wilfrido Radamés Vargas Martínez (Spanish pronunciation: [wilˈfɾiðo ˈβaɾɣas]; born April 24, 1949 in Altamira, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic) is a bandleader, trumpeter, vocalist, arranger, composer and producer who was instrumental in making the merengue style a worldwide phenomenon.
He was surrounded by musical influences; namely, his father Ramón, an accordionist and guitarist, and his mother Bienvenida, a flute player and guitarist. Vargas began his musical studies early, attending the Municipal Academy of Music beginning at age 10.
He has been a trumpeter and a vocalist, but has also arranged, composed, and led his band, and is also a producer.
He began his career with the band Wilfrido Vargas y sus Beduinos by recording his first album in 1972.
Alongside many Latin music super stars, he performed during the 1979 music festival Havana Jam.
During the 1980s he had international commercial success with songs such as "El Barbarazo", "El Jardinero", "La Medicina", and "El Loco y La Luna".
Wilfrido appeared in the 1989 film "Que viva el merengue y la lambada".
He was nominated in 1991 for the 33rd Grammy Awards in the Best Tropical Latin Performance for his album Animation. He won a "Gaviota de Plata" (Silver Seagull) in the 1992 Viña del Mar International Song Festival. In 1993, he was decorated by the Dominican president Joaquín Balaguer with the Order of Christopher Columbus in the Knight grade, alongside fellow Dominican musicians Jorge Taveras, Manuel Tejada and Julio Gautreaux for their contribution to the development and dissemination of the national music.
For the telenovela Bellísima, Wilfrido performed the theme song, "Amor Casual" and also performed the song "Que Será" for the 1997 film Out to Sea.
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