Simón Narciso Díaz Márquez (August 8, 1928 – February 19, 2014), also known as tío Simón, was a Venezuelan singer, actor, TV host, comedian, and Grammy Award-winning composer of Venezuelan music.[2][3] Some of his most popular songs include Caballo viejo, Tonada de luna llena and La vaca Mariposa.
Artists from other disciplines have also utilized Díaz's work. For example, German choreographerPina Bausch included some of Díaz's songs in her work Nur Du. Film director Pedro Almodóvar included Díaz's song "Tonada de luna llena" as part of the soundtrack for his film The Flower of My Secret, sung by the Brazilian artist Caetano Veloso.[4][5]
Early life
He was born in Barbacoas, Guárico state (nowadays in the state of Aragua), Venezuela, to Juan Díaz and María Márquez de Díaz. He had 7 siblings, one of which is the now deceased actor and comedian Joselo Díaz. His father was a musician and played the cornet in a local band, and he encouraged him to play the Venezuelan cuatro as well as taught him some of the basics in music.[8]
After his father's death in 1940, his family relocated to San Juan de los Morros, where he finished primary school and started receiving music lessons from Ramón Ziegler. In an interview, he described that in that moment, as the eldest brother, he became the “man of the house” and helped his mother raise the rest of his siblings. When he turned 15, he started working as an assistant of the local Siboney Orchestra and soon after performed as comedian under the pseudonym «el Chato».[9][10]
Career
Simón Díaz's driver's license (1951)
In 1949 he started working in Caracas as a collector for the Banco Venezolano de Crédito and started receiving music lessons at the Escuela Superior de Música de Caracas.[9][11] In the 1950s he gained attention as the host of El llanero, a radio show where he mixed folk music and comedy. Later on, he hosted another radio show in 70s with his brother Joselo, titled Media hora con Joselo y Simón.[12][13]
Díaz also performed in theater, motion pictures and television. In the 1960s he became a comedian in Venezuela. He had the leading role in three plays, and participated in films such as Cuentos para mayores (1963), Isla de sal (1964),[25]El reportero (1968),[26]La bomba (1975), Fiebre (1976), La invasión (1977) y La empresa perdona un momento de locura (1978).[8] He produced and hosted 12 different TV shows, all of them devised to promote Venezuelan music. One of these shows, Contesta por tío Simón, aired on Venezolana de Television for over 10 years and was devoted to teaching popular culture to children. It was during this time that Díaz's viewers began calling him "tío Simón" (uncle Simón).[4][27]
Simón Díaz
Death
After battling Alzheimer's disease for many years, his son, Bettsimar Díaz García, announced that he died at his home in Caracas on 19 February 2014.[13] Following his death, the Venezuelan Government announced three days of national mourning, and a concert to celebrate his life on 23 February 2024. He was buried on 21 February 2024 at the Cementerio General del Este in Caracas.[9]
The Latin American TV channel A&E MUNDO produced a documentary dedicated to Díaz under its “Biography” program, honoring his many contributions to Venezuelan culture, the program began airing in September 2004.[6]
On September 30, 2008, the Latin Grammy Awards announced that they would honor Díaz with a Lifetime Achievement Award, (El Premio del Consejo Directivo).[29] Díaz was awarded the 2008 Latin Recording Academy Trustees Award, presented by Venezuelan salsa singer Oscar D'León.[27]
In 2012, he received the National Prize of Culture (Premio Nacional de la Cultura), in the category of music, by the Venezuelan Ministry of Culture for his work in Venezuelan llanos music, particularly the tonada and traditional milking songs.[30]
Discography
Serie
Title
Label
Year
LP 6124
Parranda Criolla
Palacio
1963
LP 6128
Lila + Hugo + Simón: Música de la Película "Isla de Sal"
^ abc"Simon Diaz". National Geographic Music. NationalGeographic.com. Archived from the original on 2010-03-09. Retrieved 2009-10-24."His most celebrated songs include "Caballo Viejo", which became a smash hit in a crossover genre known as charanga vallenata, and "Bamboleo", recorded by the Gipsy Kings and Celia Cruz. His works have been performed and recorded by a who's whom of international music, from Plácido Domingo to Ivan Lins. Well into his 70s, Diaz maintains an active artistic life, and continues his performing and touring career with appearances throughout Latin America and the United States, including a slated performance in 2006 at Carnegie Hall."
^Graci, Carl; Lindsay, Matt (2005-09-12). "GWU Press Release". George Washington University. GWU Division of External Relations. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
