Antonio Cabán Vale

Antonio Cabán Vale (aka "El Topo") (born November 22, 1942 in Moca, Puerto Rico) - composer guitarist and singer. Cabán is best know as a singer and composer of Puerto Rican folklore themes.

Biography

Early life and education

Antonio Cabán Vale was born and raised in the town of Moca which is located in the western part of Puerto Rico. There he received his primary and secondary educations; he later moved to San Juan and in 1961, enrolled at the University of Puerto Rico. He wrote poems as a student which were published in the university's publication "Guajara"; it was during his time at the University of Puerto Rico that he was nicknamed "El Topo", a name which has stuck with him.

In 1966, Cabán earned his Bachelor's Degree in Arts and Social Sciences and soon after his graduation, he became a public school teacher, a job which he held for two years.

Career

In the 1970s, he formed a group called "Taone" and added music to his poems - he was the lead singer of the group. Amongst the songs which Cabán recorded and that made him famous in Puerto Rico are:
*"Flor de Amapola" (Amapola Flower / Poppy);
*"Que Bonita Luna" (What a Beautiful Moon);
*"Donde vas Maria" (Where are you going Maria?);
*"Antonia";
*"Canciones de Amantes" (Songs for Lovers) and
*"Verde Luz" (Green Light), which has also been sung by the late Argentine singer "Ginamaría Hidalgo", and mostly sung by native Puerto Rican singers, such as: Chucho Avellanet, Roy Brown, Lucecita Benitez, Tony Croatto, Lou Briel, Nano Cabrera, Carmen Nydia Velázquez, Roy Brown, Jose Feliciano, Silverio Perez, and Dagmar, among all.

The Department of Services against Drugs used his song "Expresa lo que Sientes" (Express What You Feel) as their theme tune. In the 1990s, he wrote and recorded:
*"La Patria Va";
*"Un Metro de Ternura".

Cabán has published two books with his poems; the first is entitled "Un Lugar Fuera de Tiempo" (A Place from Another Time) and is based on his experiences as a young man in his hometown Moca and the second "Penultima Salida" (The exit before the Last), deals with his personal quest in search for the "truth".

His musical style includes the use of those musical instruments which are typically Puerto Rican such as the "Cuatro" (A Puerto Rican Guitar) and the "Guiro".

In 2001, the 6th International Book Fair celebrated at the Roberto Clemente Colesium in San Juan was dedicated to Antonio "El Topo" Cabán Vale.

ee also

*List of famous Puerto Ricans
*Puerto Rico
*Puerto Rican Songwriters

External links

You may listen to "Verde Luz" by Antonio "El Topo" Caban Vale: [http://www.ladanza.com/verdelup.htm Here]
* [http://www.prpop.org/biografias/PR Popular Culture]