Chucho Sanoja

Chucho Sanoja
Background information
Birth name	Jesús Sanoja
Born	September 26, 1926 Caracas, Venezuela
Died	December 11, 1998(1998-12-11) (aged 72) Caracas, Venezuela
Genres	Venezuelan popular music, Caribbean music
Occupations	musician, pianist, composer, director and arranger
Instruments	Piano
Associated acts	Chucho Sanoja and his Orchestra

Jesús Chucho Sanoja (September 26, 1926 – December 11, 1998), was a Venezuelan musician, pianist, composer, music director and arranger.

Early career

Chucho Sanoja, was born in Caracas, his musical beginning, starts with a debt that his father decided to acquire from a deceased neighbor, assuming the commitment to pay a piano, to a commercial establishment. At the age of 8, Sanoja receives his first lessons with the organist of the Salesians Church. At the age of 16, began his professional career at the Sonora Caracas, of Leonardo Pedroza. Sanoja acquires from Pedroza the musical experience, in addition to the organization and direction of musical groups. He continues maturing like an instrumentalist, being part of the Belisario Brothers Orchestra, one of the most popular at moment.

In the 1940s, Sanoja begins his experience at the radio at the program, Cada Minuto una Estrella, of Libertador Broadcasting. Later moving to Tropical Broadcasting, where he meets entertainer Amador Bendayán. 1944 and 1945, are vital in the formation of Sanoja as arranger, at the Luis Alfonzo Larrain Orchestra, he met José Perez Figuera, arranger of the group and the man responsible for Sanoja for the knowledge of arrangement . For this reason he soon receives the opportunity to make arrangements for Larrain, continuing with similar works for Billo Frómeta. In 1951 Chucho Sanoja decides to create his own orchestra, next to his brother Tomás Sanoja, acting with regularity at the Venezuela and Continente Broadcasting Radios, besides participating in major events, such as the inauguration of the Tamanaco Hotel in Caracas, and the Army Officer's Clubs in different regions of Venezuela, alternating with the Billo' s Caracas Boys, Havana Cuban Boys and Xavier Cugat. 1955 was an important year for Venezuelan authors as Sanoja altogether with Luis Alfonzo Larrain and other authors, created Sacven the Venezuelan Author Rights Society. The first work undertaken by this society in defense of the Venezuelan author was preparing a bill with the aim of reforming the 1928 laws on intellectual property. This initiative, among others, prompted the legislative process that culminated in the adoption of the law on copyright in 1963.

Popularity and legacy

Chucho Sanoja and his Orchestra

In the 1960s, Chucho Sanoja and his orchestra, travels around Mexico, Colombia and Spain, also participates in the famous Caracas carnivals, alternating with the Orchestra of Tito Rodriguez at the Ávila Hotel, this friendly duel of orchestras, was recording in the album: En el Hotel Ávila Sigue la Cosa (1964). The trajectory and prestige of Chucho Sanoja, caused that Renny Ottolina contracted him, like musical director of his show on RCTV. At the end of this decade, Sanoja dissolves the orchestra and dedicates to the publicity, although for 1975 regroups it to record a new album. By this orchestra, passed many famous singers, some of them: Victor Piñero, Manolo Monterrey, Kiko Mendive, Alberto Beltrán, Víctor Pérez, Nelson Pinedo, Chico Salas, Héctor Barinas, Daniel Montes de Oca, among others.

His work like pianist and arranger were recognized, in addition to the sonorous personality of his orchestra, innovating with saxophones and flutes. Will be remembered for compositions like: Magia blanca, En la soledad, Maracaibo, Te pude alcanzar, to mention some, also by the enthusiasm that transmitted on his musical works, and the versions of popular songs like Lamento náufrago, Ya voy hacia ti, and Plena española. On December 11, 1998, Chucho Sanoja dies in Caracas.

See also

• Venezuela
• Venezuelan music
• Lamento Náufrago

Persondata
Name	Sanoja, Chucho
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	September 26, 1926
Place of birth
Date of death	December 11, 1998
Place of death