Hugo Blanco (musician)
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Hugo Blanco (September 25, 1940 – June 14, 2015) was a popular Venezuelan musician. He is best known as the author of "Moliendo Café" and other songs like "El Burrito Sabanero", "Leche Condensada", "Luces de Caracas", "Sierra Nevada" and "Mañanita Zuliana". "Moliendo Café", written in 1958 when Hugo Blanco was only 18 years old, has become one of the most recognized Venezuelan songs in the world.
Blanco was born in Caracas, Venezuela. He purchased his first musical instrument known as a cuatro at the age of 15 and learned to play it listening to the radio. Blanco created a new Venezuelan music style ‒ a fusion of Cuban music and joropo ‒ called "the orquídea" in honor of the Venezuelan national flower.
In the 1960s, Blanco composed many popular gaitas with Simón Díaz called Gaitas de las Locas. He also founded what is widely considered to be the first Venezuelan ska group, Las Cuatro Monedas.
In the 1970s, he founded the Venezuelan group Los Hijos De Ña Carmen.
Hugo Blanco's song "La Vecina" was featured in an episode of the popular TV series Miami Vice.
"Moliendo Café" has become a popular chant for football fans around the world. The chant is widely known as "Dale Cavese" and has the same tune as the song.
