Nothing was easy for Alfredo Sadel. His star, his tenacity and most importantly, his extensive and careful artistry, allowed him to excel in the music scene, even though some of its creative aspects have not been claimed. Sadel was more than a tenor.
A triumphant return from Europe and operatic tenor, Sadel gathered a group of associates in an encounter which highlights the stories of his tour. In the group, Mario Suárez, Simón Diaz, a friend, Virgilio Galindo (Ruyi), Alfredo and Jose Emilio Castellanos Sadel.
By Jose Emilio Castellanos
Washington, DC
The day before we arrived at 50 years, the February 21, 1980, we held a conversation for several hours, at Carrizal, where Sadel left exposed to humans after scenes.
Sitting next to his grand piano, covered with hundreds of disks disorderly lp's of great tenors of all time, told me at that time: ¨ Every age has a new stage to play. Was that one of the tenets of humanistic inexhaustible Leonardo Da Vinci, who said the old look in the mirror, he did not mind being old did not care to die, that she had met life ¨.
was born in a house without number, between La Vega and Cruz de Palo Grande, soon to be applauded in large venues in the world, the boy wanted to marry in the church of the Capuchin popular, but their marriage was made, by way of exception , at the Presidential Palace of Miraflores, in their low income as a telegraph operator, draftsman and painter, paid for his first recordings, in acetate, but at the end of his days had passed the 2000 pieces and 200 long-term.
was awarded by the dictator Marcos Perez Jimenez, along with Susana Duijm Miss World, but was committed to democratic ideals, for which he was the subject of two thwarted attacks in the Homeland Security abroad, for being part of a team preparing an uprising against the dictatorship. There were two deaths, to be confused with Sadel, against whom he had the order to assassinate him in Costa Rica, where many politicians Venezuelans had fled persecution by the dictatorship, including Betancourt, Carlos Andrés Pérez, Oropeza Castillo and brothers Grooscors. This was coupled with a smear campaign by some media in countries where regimes ruled military.
On reaching age 50, wrote for National: ¨ Troubadour, singer of a generation and their children and grandchildren of that generation, then became operatic divo, controversial public figure, the idol of women and admired by multitudes lovers of bel canto, political and sometimes anti-political, trade union leader, composer and frustrated matador was before simply Alfredo Sanchez, an inhabitant of a modest house in La Pastora ... Alfredo Sadel was not a nom de guerre. Symbiosis was a bustle loaded human circumstances, the result of a childhood hard ". Although
before Juanito Arteta Lorenzo Herrera, Luis Héctor Monteverde Fragachan and had become the leading pioneers with their voices and melodies the artistic projection of Venezuela to the outside, it takes a dimension of notoriety with the appearance of tenor Alfredo Sánchez Luna Caracas, an admirer of Gardel, who takes part of its name to attach to his own, creating his stage name: Sa-del.
He pioneered in many areas. Popular singer, opera singer, operatic seasons entrepreneur, who created a record of domestic production, Sonus, torero frustrated composer, union, political, telegraph operator, designer, with deep feeling for the friendship and loyalty. In 1952 he was called to star flower field, the first feature film of national production, with music, script and cast all Venezuelans. In 1953, he was the headline acts at the opening of Radio Caracas Television.
born artist Sadel, a Caracas of humble origin, a student in public schools (School "Delgado Palacios, La Pastora, and Apr. 19, in the parish of San Juan), who then entered the Salesian School of Sarria, where he would receive the stimulus to his musical skills by two brothers, parents and Calderon Sidi. It was then simply Alfredo Sánchez school, as he called the priest College, where the lad starts singing, but also stands out as an actor and artist. Gymnast
school team, is also display '¨ fixed client punishment wall where he repeatedly sent the priest counselor on charges of unruly, quarrelsome and talkative in class.
At times the government of General Isaías Medina Angarita was arrested when he was only eleven years, to break pro-government posters. Began to mobilize its political concerns, which then will be directed to an underground activity against the dictatorship of Pérez Jiménez.
At fifteen, decided to become a singer and neglects the secondary school. It part of the School of Music in Santa Capilla and is a frequent visitor to the amateur radio programs, which came as a listener, until the day it is discovered that ¨ ¨.
Sadel and told me: ¨ Mario Suarez, then the most prominent national song, hear me sing and I recommended to the direction of Radio Caracas to give me a scholarship. Very few people believed in me. They did not understand my voice. Singing teachers rejected me because they thought he had no future ¨.
In 1943, he participated in an amateur. Three years later debuted at Radio Caracas Radio. In 1946 he canceled the sum of ten bolivars to record an acetate with his voice, and ten Bs Copyright composer Guillermo Castillo Bustamante. The record contained the Despair bolero and tango Braids. Never aired because the singer was disappointed with the result. For a year immersed herself disk, detecting faults, until, in 1948, is acceptable to burn-in test, his first commercial recording: Black Diamond, a paso doble with music and lyrics by José Luis Reyna Peraza "Pete Pepe." A year later the recording was made again, overcoming failure.
In 1952 he recorded the tracks let me, Conny Mendez and I have the consolation of Aldemaro Romero. Also composed and recorded by the Prado and near you. I was born the Sadel composer, author of lyrics and music, to make a contribution to musical yet unrecognized. International Astro
The success was such that around a few years and had recorded 200 vinyl records (78 rpm) and then became the first Latin American to record an LP, My Song, with the RCA Victor New York.
His career became gigantic. Their idolatry reached audiences in New York, where he worked for sixteen consecutive weeks and recorded two pieces, Oh Lady Mary (Pablo Cairo), and another rose, the latter composed by the young Sadel who later became his wife, Rosita Rodriguez, who incidentally had met in New York, when he had a political message to the girl's father, former President of the Congress of Venezuela under President Romulo Gallegos, Valmore Rodríguez.
Sadel same year signed a contract by RCA Victor and debuted at the Jefferson Theater in New York. From that moment begins its popularity in the United States. It acts on the Ed Sullivan Show, the Colgate Comedy Hour and Chance of a Lifetime, the very programs on American television star, with a signature tune throughout the territory. It also makes presentations for ABC and the Shoreham Hotel in Washington. Was established as an artist of international quality, able to reach audiences of languages \u200b\u200bother than Castilian. After his appearance at the Teatro San Juan from New York, along with Lola Flores were rumors about a romance between the star Sadel and English. At the same time, the press made known the birth of first child Sadel, Carlos Alfredo.
In 1954, won the Chance of a Life Time, as the artist's most popular U.S. television. Then come Havana (1955), sponsored by Albuerne Fernando and René Cabel, and Mexico (1956). In the midst of touring, tirelessly continues his long-playing recordings, reaching more than two hundred during career.
starred in the movies ten long footage: Flor de Campo (1951), The Mouse (1957), directed by Chano Ureta, coprotgonizada by former Mexican boxing champion Raton Macias, Tu and Lies (1958), directed by René Cardona, Miguel Aceves Mejías and Evangelina Elizondo, The Good Luck (1961), Three Bullets (1961), In each love Fair (1962), Martin Santos, The Lone Ranger, with Mexican Lorena Velasquez (Paramount Pictures and a company Mexico, 1961), The Bride of Cadet, with the Venezuelan actress and singer Eva Blanco Raul Miranda Atomic Mission, A La Habana me and I, A Venezuelan in Mexico, Miguel Aceves Mejías.
was hired in 1958 by Metro Goldwyn Mayer in Hollywood, as a substitute tenor Mario Lanza, but never took the film project. In that period there were rumors of a romance with a famous actress who was linked to Frank Sinatra.
Europe and
opera would come after the bounce, bound for Italy and Austria which would make studying operatic singing. But it was a farewell to popular music. Sánchez Luna, dramatic tenor, and Sadel, the popular idol, fail to join together. Soon his repertoire includes great authors of the so-called classical or romantic, as Scarlatti, Mozart, Beethoven, authors operatic as Verdi, Puccini and Bizet, operettas and operas, without neglecting its unique interpretations of boleros, the psodoble, the joropo, tango and ranchera.
She had faced a challenge that was hard, rough, but again became coveted goals: the Opera in Hamburg, the Teatro Mari-insky the then Leningrad, Belgrade National Opera, the Opera of Odessa, the Hartford Opera, the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Teatro Colon in Bogota, the Bellas Artes in Mexico City, Teatro Segura in Lima, and the Opera Theatre of St. Gallen (Switzerland), among others. Wine
another desire: to share the stage with established artists, embodied scenarios. So, he is seen by José van Dam, Viorica Cortez, Krilovich Marina, Serril Milnes, Lucina Amara, Fernando Corena, Giorgio Tozzi and Cristina Deutekon, the latter, which owns large EXTS on Broadway.
debut in 1962 in Caracas and opera singer in the zarzuela "Los Gavilanes" in a memorable performance at the Teatro Municipal, which now bears his name.
in Europe was presented in the most prestigious theaters in Yugoslavia, Hungary, Switzerland, France, Spain, Italy, Germany and nearly all the countries that comprised the Soviet Union. In New York is presented again, this time as opera singer at Carnegie Hall, with "Cecilia Valdés." Shortly after he was hired by the company of Placido Domingo (father), for a tour of Latin America, which had the opportunity to mingle with Doña Pepita Embil, the mother of Plácido Domingo. Peru
His time was recorded against the name of Pepita Embil, in a presentation that Peruvians season rated as the most successful operettas have been performed in this country. Shortly after Sadel alternate with tenor Placido Domingo in the opera season of the year 65 at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico.
in spirit and tireless perfectionist, Sadel returns to Europe and debuted as Alfredo Sánchez Moon in the Opera of Münster, Germany. An exceptional witness, the then Consul in Hamburg, Regulus Ambassador Velasco, recalls the ten-minute standing ovation in a theater elated with the masterful interpretation of the terms veneolano. A while later a representative of Mario del Monaco would offer a European tour with 30 performances, but Sadel decided to leave Vienna for family reasons.
In St. Gallen, Switzerland, starred in over a hundred performances. Sang Carmen, La Boheme, Tosca, Don Carlos and The Flying Dutchman by Wagner, and Cavalleria Rusticana Two Pasquale. There he heard the critic Kurt Pahlen, and decided to include in his book "Great singers of our time. "The Soviet Union played Tosca, Rigoletto, Traviata, Lucia di Lammermoor and Madama Butterfly.
At the same time developing their business opera, his passion for American popular music remained intact. It was the first Venezuelan singer to reach the stage of the Soviet Union as operatic tenor, he did time as a guitarist Alirio Diaz and then Rosa Virginia Chacin in the popular song.
It goes on to Switzerland, Spain, Mexico and the United States, where he earned a great success with The Barber of Seville, until his return to Caracas, where she alternates popular and lyrical interpreter.
back to Germany again, this time with the intention of improving his career as a dramatic tenor. Already has an amplitude and a velvet voice that opened the doors of the major halls of Europe operatic world. In Switzerland it is contracted for one year as the first tenor at the Teatro San Gallen, and in Munster, Germany, gets warm praise with his performance in Don Pasquale. Her voice is clearly making remarkable depth and presence even academic natural shell famous boleros, or Opera arias.
So came his artistic journey through 15 countries of the Soviet Union, the Carnegie Hall in New York and the Salzburg Mozarteum, where he attended. Another
Opera: The Politics
Sadel not smoke, drank very little and had four children, grandchildren, a lot of kilos over and dyed her gray hair in his later years.
repeatedly told me that an artist should not be detached from the reality of the world and his country. His political involvement led to different interpretations, but at the same time, placed on a site that was considered different from those who make art a single office of citizen engagement, attitude toward life.
The early days of the military dictatorship that ruled Venezuela from 1948 to 1958, generated in the young challenger to stardom a reaction against the oppression and power schemes, precisely when they proliferated in the Americas. Then listen closely the speeches of the poet Andrés Eloy Blanco (Angelitos Negros), the novelist Romulo Gallegos (Mrs. Barbara) of Valmore Rodriguez and Adolfo Lopez Mateos Mexican leader. Shortly after serving
secret email between people of the resistance against dictatorship, including Rómulo Betancourt, then in exile in Puerto Rico, and is suddenly on the outside engaged in a conspiracy against members of the military regime's political police Venezuela's National Security. This led to by the two attacks Sadel agents, of which escapes by chance. In Costa Rica, at the opening of a hotel where he worked, was killed a person to be confused with the wording of the agents. Another incident occurred in Havana, ruled Fulgencio Batista.
Years later, after the fall of military rule in Venezuela, his marriage took place at the Palacio de Miraflores, sponsored by then-President Romulo Betancourt, the novelist and former President Rómulo Gallegos and the Governor of Caracas Oropeza Castillo. Outside the enclosure, a reinforced brigade security in the presence of a legion of admirers, while in the rest of the country, violence policy is intensifying. It was fortuitous marriage in the presidential compound. His bride was the daughter of former President Rodríguez Valmore National Congress, who died in exile during the dictatorship of General Marcos Pérez Jiménez, and Sadel had been carrying messages between Venezuelan exile leaders in Cuba, New York, Mexico and Costa Rica.
On the reasons that led him to marry in the Presidential Palace, Venezuela, Sadel told me (sic): ¨ I did not decide to get married in Miraflores. I accepted it. My desire was to marry in the Church of San Juan, Capuchins, linked to my childhood. President Betancourt, for safety reasons, recommended that the Marriage is made in the chapel of the palace, but was taken in deference to me. ¨
Valmore The reason was that Rodriguez, shortly before his death, being in exile Betancourt had asked that ensure their children.
will be linked to the Democratic Action, to which, to my question, he replied:
"democratic action I want nothing, absolutely nothing. I'm not saying anything else about it. And they ask me why ¨.
Force
natural and beautiful nuances
In 1988 the musicologist Guillermo Herrera published an interesting example: "From Sadel to be submitted successfully 23 years ago at the Teatro Colon in Bogota performing La Traviata, The Barber of Seville, Rigoletto, the now Sadel, staff dedicated to spreading the popular American remains, enhanced by mature, velvety voice, diction perfect, clear sense of interpretation, the scenic serenity, natural strength and beautiful nuances. "
the day of his funeral crowd accompanied him on a tour of the city to take the seat of the government of Caracas, in front of the Plaza Bolivar. That same day was veiled in the Foreign Ministry's former ambassador Valentín Hernández, why he was on the outside Yellow House a platoon of the Army to pay tribute to the former - diplomat and former Minister of Energy. When you get the crowd accompanying Sadel, covered with the flag of Venezuela, the officer hesitated a few seconds and then give an order to his troops: Firm, honor ...
Sadel
