The Dominican jazz master Guillo Carías has passed away today, according to information provided to this medium by Herminio Alberti.
The decorated Dominican trumpeter and arranger Francisco Guillermo -Guillo- Carías Marra who received last April from the hands of President Luis Abinader the Order of Merit of Duarte, Sánchez and Mella degree Caballero, in the National Palace, from the hands of President Luís Abinader. This is the main distinction granted by the Government of the Dominican Republic, conferred on civilians and military personnel for distinguished services. Degree of Knight, in recognition of his professional career of more than 50 years and his contributions to the dissemination of Dominican culture, departed from this world this Friday, July 22 in the morning hours.
a decoration
The decoration received a few months ago is contained in Decree 225-22, which was read by the Legal Consultant of the Executive Branch, Antoliano Peralta, indicating that Carías made valuable contributions to the dissemination of Dominican culture, both in the country and abroad.
After receiving the order, Guillo Carías expressed “it will help me to continue with more force the work of putting our music wherever we go, no matter what the romantic song is…, merengues, the bachata that is in the whole world, our music she is unbelievably beautiful.”
Master Carías was born on May 12, 1936 in the San Juan province and although he began his studies in dentistry, he decided to pursue a career as a musician and arranger. He learned music, along with his sister Irma Carias Marra, with his father Don Francisco Carias Lavandier, legend and example of honesty in his town who was also director of the music band of San Juan de la Maguana, where his beloved son would be born, On May 12, 1936, and in 1953 at the age of 17, he moved from San Juan de la Maguana to the capital city, where he intended to study dentistry. Here he was hired by the Agustín Mercier Orchestra at the Jaragua hotel.
Guillo Carias becomes an important musician in the orchestra led by maestro Rafael Solano.
Between 1954 and 1955, he played at the inaugurations of the Paz (later Hispaniola) and Embajador hotels. Guillo Carias inaugurated his international career in 1957, beginning it in Jamaica with the Rafael Solano Orchestra. Later, in 1962 he was a musician for Tito Rodríguez in New York. In Puerto Rico he graduated in trumpet at the Rio Piedras Conservatory of Music. He returned to his country in 1974. He was an instrumentalist with the National Symphony Orchestra for 17 years. Located in North Carolina since 2008, in the city of Cary, Guillo Carías never stopped being in contact with his native country and his culture.
He is survived by his wife María Ramírez, his children and grandchildren who accompanied him when he received the order last April.
