El Cieguito De Nagua

About

Dominican merengue accordionist born on January 10th, 1947 in La Jagüita, Cabrera. He got his nickname "Bartolo" when he was young. He was born blind and picked up the accordion in 1956 at the age of 9. He learned quickly and was soon after brought to play on a radio program called Searching For Stars (Buscando Estrellas) on La Voz Dominicana. He returned to his village and with his father Mon Quero as a güirero, Bartolo Alvarado started playing at birthday parties, weddings, baptisms, school celebrations and religious events. The fame of the child prodigy extended when from the hand of his father he went to Nagua to exhibit his artistic abilities. He played with the grace and skill of an experienced musician, and he sang with a clear and sure voice, It was difficult to see him play without realizing that El Cieguito (The Little Blind One), as he was then affectionately called, had a bright future. When he was eighteen, he went to Santo Domingo. And at the outbreak of the Constitutionalist Revolution of April 24th, 1965, he returned to La Jagüita. A businessman called Fabio Inoa heard him play, and he proposed to make two recordings, and so the first records of El Cieguito De Nagua appeared on the market. "Yo seré tu Mayoral" was the title of one of the two merengues that were included on the single, and "Marita" was the title of the other one. "That merengue is mine, letter and music," clarifies Bartolo when asked about the history of that famous piece. Other hits of El Cieguito De Nagua include "El Diente De Oro" and "La Luz".