Abelardo Manuel Gamarra Rondo, baptized by history as «The Peruvian Marinera father» after composing the eternal Marinera «Concheperla»
Abelardo Manuel Gamarra Rondo, whom some know as «The Last Haravicu» or «The Tunante» pseudonyms with which he signed his poems and his folk tales respectively. He was born on August 31st, 1850, in Huamachuco, La Libertad department Peru. He was a Peruvian writer, poet, journalist, composer, and politician who went down in history for baptizing «La Marinera» with the name with which this northern dance is known until today.
His lyrics allowed him to be one of the most recognized literary critics of his time. In addition, he participated actively in the War of the Pacific in 1880 and later in the battles of San Juan and Miraflores in 1881.
He was director of the newspaper «El Peruano» among his most popular writings are: «One thing is with vihuela and another thing is with a guitar». «Episode of the carnival of Lima», «Novenario del Tunante», «Chileans are coming», «Feather Traits» and «One Hundred Years of Life Perdularia».
Gamarra Rondo had an important contribution to the world of popular music with innumerable yaravíes, songs, and silly songs that are the Creole jarana part to this day, but the most notable contribution that consecrated it forever was in the «Peruvian Marinera» according to historians the name «Marinera» was contributed by him in the year 1879 in his book «Feather Traits«, the segment that indicates it says so: «(…) The most popular dance of our time is known by different names, it is called Tondero, Mozamala, Slippery, Zangureña Earth Dance. Until 1879 it was more general to call it Chilean. We were the ones who, once the war between Peru and Chile had been declared, we thought it improper to keep in the mouth of the people, in its moments of expansion, such a title. ”The well-known» Tunante «, baptized as» Marinera «, the hitherto known as Chilean, not only to pay tribute to the feats of Miguel Grau and the Peruvian Navy but also to differentiate of the Chilean Cueca that curiously descends from the Peruvian Zamacueca.
Abelardo Manuel Gamarra Rondo, baptized by history as«The Peruvian Marinera father» after composing the eternal Marinera «Concheperla» died on July 9th, 1924, in Lima and his remains lie in the historic «Presbítero Maestro» cemetery in the Augustino district.
