Francisco "Paquito" Burgos, a renowned Dominican trumpeter and one of the surviving founding musicians of the Super Orquesta San Jose, died on Sunday in Santo Domingo at the age of 100.
The news was confirmed to Diario Libre by writer and music researcher Dario Tejeda, who highlighted Burgos's career and his importance in the history of Dominican music.
A career spanning generations
Burgos was also a member of the National Symphony Orchestra for 34 years and worked as a professor at the National Conservatory of Music.
Beyond being one of the founding musicians of the main orchestra of La Voz del Yuna and, later, La Voz Dominicana, Burgos helped found the Lira del Yuna, the group that gave rise to the Super Orquesta San Jose. That orchestra was led by the late maestro Papa Molina, who has also since died.
Burgos was the last living student of maestro Francisco "Pancho" Sone, the historic director of the La Vega music band, in the city where Burgos was born in 1926.
In 2020, the Senate of the Dominican Republic honored him for his merits and contributions to music.
Funeral details
With his death, Dominican music loses an artist from the generation that helped establish one of the most important orchestral groups in the country's musical history.
Burgos's funeral was set to begin on Monday, August 24, from 12:00 p.m. at the Funeraria Blandino on Abraham Lincoln Avenue in Santo Domingo.
His burial was scheduled for Tuesday, August 25, at 1:00 p.m., at the Memorial Puerta del Cielo, located on Jacobo Majluta Avenue.
Legacy and significance
Burgos's career was tied for decades to major institutions and ensembles in Dominican music, from the early years of radio and the great orchestras to his work as a performer, teacher and musician with the National Symphony Orchestra.
His role in the Lira del Yuna and in forming the Super Orquesta San Jose made him one of the central figures of a foundational period in the development of the country's popular and orchestral music.
Added to that was his 34-year tenure with the National Symphony Orchestra and his work as a professor at the National Conservatory of Music, where he also helped train new generations of Dominican musicians.
Burgos's death leaves a significant void in Dominican musical circles and marks the close of a generation directly linked to the origins of the Super Orquesta San Jose and the era of La Voz del Yuna and La Voz Dominicana.
