Julio Jaramillo
Julio Alfredo Jaramillo Laurido (October 1, 1935 – February 9, 1978) was a notable Ecuadorian singer and recording artist who performed throughout Latin America, achieving great fame for his renditions of boleros, valses, pasillos, tangos, and rancheras. Having recorded more than 4,000 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 Colombian singer, Alci Acosta. Biography. Childhood. Jaramillo was born on October 1, 1935, in Guayaquil, Ecuador. 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. Their neighbor Ignacio Toapanta let the kids play with his musical instruments, and taught them to play the guitar. Julio later made his own guitar out of bamboo so that he could practice more . Attending the school led by Francisco García Avilés was probably the final push towards Julio's musical career. By the age of 17, Jaramillo was becoming famous for having a beautiful and warm voice, and participated in radio programs at "El Condor" radio station. In 1950 he joined with two friends to form a trio and got to visit the provinces of Esmeraldas and Manabi. On one occasion he was forced to return to his job as a shoemaker to survive. Despite the criticisms, penalties, tears and entreaties of his mother, he was unable to leave his bohemian lifestyle and  revelers. Adult life and marriages. At 18, Julio left home, rented an apartment with Irene, with whom he had a baby. Sadly, the baby died after eight months. At this time he worked as a shoemaker, but still insisting unsuccessfully on pursuing a career as a musician. He was often seen at a place called "La Lagartera" serenading people for tips. At "La Lagartera" Julio met other musicians. It was during these years that he came to know Odalina Sánchez at the local Radio El Triunfo. He fell in love with Odalina and left Irene for her. Together they had  a son named Francisco, born March 9, 1955. However, before the age of 20 he married María Eudocia Rivera, who was at the time four months pregnant with his child. Still, he kept an ongoing love affair with Odalina. Back in Guayaquil, he never stopped being "the kid from the block", humble, friendly, bohemian, generous, and joyful. On Channel 4 he started a TV show, in which he performed frequently and recorded new songs. However, a life of excesses and lack of control affected his health, which got progressively worse. Professional career. With the recording of his first album, "Mi  pobre querida Madre" (1954), which was a duet with Fresia Saavedra, his name began to be well-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, Perú, Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile. 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 Central America. He also recorded duets with Daniel Santos, Olimpo Cárdenas, and Alci Acosta. His last international tour was held in the United States and Canada. The scandals of his turbulent life were often also a source of news. He was imprisoned on several occasions, almost always due to crimes against women or noncompliance with the Juvenile Court. Besides being married five times, Julio had children with other women: it's estimated he had up to twenty-eight children. He never denied his humble origins, was always very generous and lavish with his friends, and a stereotype of  machismo from his early upbringing. Operation. On his return to Ecuador in 1975, tired, prematurely aged and corroded by cirrhosis, he was booed at a performance in his hometown because his voice was no longer the same. In his last years of his life, Julio Jaramillo had a radio program at Crystal Radio entitled "The J.J. Hour", whose commercial time did not even generate enough money for him to make a decent living. During the early days of the month of February 1978, Julio Jaramillo underwent a highly risky medical procedure to remove gallstones. The procedure was successful, but during  the postoperative period he was imprudent enough to pull the probes connected to his body. This caused a peritonitis which forced doctors to perform a second operation. However, because of the years as a bohemian and neglect, his body did not respond as expected. Death. Jaramillo died at the young age of 42. His remains were given a farewell like no other person has known in Guayaquil. It is estimated that there were about 250,000 Ecuadorians at his funeral. His level of popularity in Ecuador could be compared to Frank Sinatra's in the United States, Pedro Infante 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, Google celebrated his 84th birthday with a Google Doodle. Notable songs performed. According to Spotify: Julio Jaramillo in Spotify Songs composed by Julio Jaramillo. "According to All Music Guide"