Julio Alfredo Jaramillo Laurido (October 1, 1935 – February 9, 1978) was a notable

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

ian singer and recording artist who performed throughout

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, achieving great fame for his renditions of

boleros Bolero is a genre of song which originated in eastern Cuba in the late 19th century as part of the trova tradition. Unrelated to the older Spanish dance of the same name, bolero is characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. It h ...

, valses, pasillos,

tangos Tangos may refer to: * Tangos (song), "Tangos" (song), a song popularized in Spain * Tangos (district), a district or barangay in Navotas, Philippines * ''Tangos'', a 1973 album by Buenos Aires 8 * Tangos (album), ''Tangos'' (album), a 2014 album ...

, and rancheras. Having recorded more than 2,200 songs throughout his career, his most famous song was and is "Nuestro Juramento" well known throughout all South America. He is considered to be one of the most beloved singers of Ecuador, even before Gerardo Moran, Maximo Escaleras, and many other talents. Jaramillo recorded with many other noteworthy Latin American artists including Puerto Rican singer, Daniel Santos; fellow Ecuadorian singer, Olimpo Cárdenas; and

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n singer, Alci Acosta.

Biography

Childhood

Jaramillo was born on October 1, 1935, in

Guayaquil, Ecuador Guayaquil (), officially Santiago de Guayaquil, is the largest city in Ecuador and also the nation's economic capital and main port. The city is the capital (political), capital of Guayas Province and the seat of Guayaquil Canton. The city is ...

. Son of Juan Pantaleón Jaramillo Erazo and Apolonia Laurido Cáceres. His parents moved to Guayaquil from the town of Machachi in search for a better life. He had two siblings, a sister who died at the age of 5 and a brother named Pepe. By the age of 17, Jaramillo was becoming famous for having a beautiful and warm voice, participated in radio programs at "El Condor" radio station. In 1950 he joined with two friends to form a trio.

Professional career

With the recording of his first album, "Mi pobre querida Madre" (1954), which was a duet with the established singer Fresia Saavedra, his name began to be known. This was followed by the Peruvian-style waltz song called "Esposa (wife)" (1955), a duet with Carlos Rubira Infante. In 1956, the Peruvian-style waltz ''Fatalidad''(music by Laureano Martínez Smart, text by Juan Sixto Prieto) marked his breakthrough. It's something between a Peruvian waltz and an Ecuadorian "pasillo." It was a huge success from the very beginning — 6000 copies were sold within a week. By the end of 1956, he had produced a dozen albums under the Onyx label. In 1959, he moved to TV and also the movies. His first film was ''Mala Mujer'' or "Wicked Woman". He gained international recognition after the bolero "Nuestro Juramento" (1957), and he made several tours in Latin America. He began a journey through Ecuador, Colombia,

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, and

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. The Mexican label Peerless became interested in him and sent him on a tour of Peru and Chile. In Colombia, he met up with his brother Pepe, who had previously emigrated to that country. When not on tour, he performed in movie theaters in Guayaquil (it was customary at that time to perform concerts before the main feature). Because of his immense popularity, he started to do pre-movie shows on Saturdays and Sundays, which later became two daily shows, seven days a week. Upon returning to Ecuador, he was arrested and forced into military service. Returning to civilian life in 1960, he continued his career, reaching sellout performances of up to four consecutive months at Guayaquil's Guayas Theater. He also had a part in an Ecuadorian movie, "Fiebre de Juventud: Romance en Ecuador", and another one in Argentina. In 1965, he settled in Venezuela and completed successful tours of Mexico, Puerto Rico, and

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. He also recorded duets with Daniel Santos, Olimpo Cárdenas, and Alci Acosta. His last international tour was held in the

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and

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Surgery

After his return to Ecuador in 1975, during his final years, he hosted a radio show called "The J.J. Hour" on Radio Cristal. In February 1978, Julio underwent a dangerous procedure to remove his gallstones.

Death

Jaramillo passed away at the age of 42. It is estimated that there were about 250,000 Ecuadorians at his funeral in Guayaquil. His level of popularity in Ecuador could be compared to Frank Sinatra's in the United States,

Pedro Infante Pedro Infante Cruz (; 18 November 1917 – 15 April 1957) was a Mexican ranchera singer and actor whose career spanned the golden age of Mexican cinema. Infante was born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, and raised in nearby Guamúchil. He died on 15 Apri ...

in Mexico, or Carlos Gardel's in Argentina. Since 1993, his birthday has been commemorated as a national holiday for the pasillo: ''Día del Pasillo Ecuatoriano'' (Day of the Ecuadorian Pasillo).

Tribute

On October 1, 2019,

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celebrated his 84th birthday with a

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Songs composed by Julio Jaramillo

''According to All Music Guide''* * A La Vuelta de la Esquina * A Mi Madre * Alguien Me Espera * Aquellos Ojos * Arrepentida * Ay Mexicanita * Bodas Negras * Calla Corazón * Cantando * Caraqueñita * Despertar Llorando * Endechas * Fiel Amigo * Guayaquileña * Hacia el Calvario * Hermano * Idolatria * La Vuelta de la Esquina * Llegastes * Llora * Mentiras y Nada Mas * Mi Desengaño * Mi Locura * Naufragio de Amor * No la Dejes Marchar * No Soy Juez * Que Culpa Tengo * Que No Te Mire Nadie * Si Tu Me Has Querido * Siete Besos * Sin Venganza * Tus Besos Fueron Mio * Vuelve Conmigo * Yo Era Bueno * Elsa * Historia De Amor * Perdon Por Adorarte * No Me Lo Digas (tango)

References

External links

Julio Jaramillo Museum of Popular Music (Guayaquil-Ecuador)1 stand dedicated to Julio Jaramillo

Julio Jaramillo discography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jaramillo, Julio 1935 births 1978 deaths Musicians from Guayaquil Ecuadorian people of Spanish descent Ecuadorian people of Galician descent 20th-century Ecuadorian male singers