Luis María Frómeta Pereira was born in Pimentel, Duarte Province, Dominican Republic, on November 15, 1915. He would move with his family to San Francisco de Macorís some years later. The school he attended there had compulsory music lessons, so he learned much of his musical training there.
In 1930, at the age of 15, he founded and was the resident conductor of the Banda del Cuerpo de Bomberos de Ciudad Trujillo (Ciudad Trujillo's Fire Brigade's Band). He also founded the Orquesta Sinfónica de Santo Domingo during this time.
In 1933, he moved back to Santo Domingo. During these years, he would meet and work with some of his closest friends and associates: Freddy Coronado, Ernesto Chapuseaux and Simó Damirón, whom he already knew from school . The Conjunto Tropical and the Santo Domingo Jazz Band were formed then, as well.
Frómeta then began studying Pre-Medicine in the Universidad de Santo Domingo and had to abandon all musical activity during this time. However, he eventually dropped out on his third year to dedicate himself fully to music.
Frómeta and his orchestra arrived in Venezuela in December 1937 with his orchestra to play regularly in a dance club in a Caracas, the Roof Garden. The Santo Domingo Jazz Band did well, but the club owners didn't think the name would stick- so they had Frómeta change it to something more marketeable. Frómeta went along, which got him barred from ever returning to his native Dominican Republic as Trujillo considered the change- "Billo's Caracas Boys"- an insult. Billo, Grandes Éxitos, a compilation album of the most famous songs of the Billo's Caracas Boys, was released in 1996.
Frómeta continued to play in Venezuela until the fall of Marcos Pérez Jiménez in 1958. Accused of being a supporter of the regime, he was barred by the Asociación Musical del D.F y Estado Miranda from ever playing in Venezuela again.
Following this, he moved to Cuba to play with a Cuban band there.
In 1960, a special session of the National Assembly was convened in Caracas. The purpose was to lift the ban passed on Billo in 1958, which was by then considered to have been unfair. That very same year, Frómeta returned to Venezuela.
On April 27, 1988, he suffered a stroke while rehearsing with the Venezuela Symphony Orchestra for a concert-tribute in his honour that would occur the very next day: just after he finished conducting the practice run for "Un Cubano en Caracas", he collapsed on the ground as the orchestra was applauding his performance. Frómeta died the following week on May 5, 1988 in Caracas.
Sonia
Billo's Caracas Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pongan atención señores lo que les voy a contar
Nuestro típico merengue como se debe bailar
La pareja un poco al lado dándole vista al galán
Con aires gentil gallardo el merengue va a empezar, ah yayayyy...
Pongan atención señores lo que les voy a contar
Nuestro típico merengue como se debe bailar
La pareja un poco al lado dándole vista al galán
Con aires gentil gallardo el merengue va a empezar
Iniciando el pie izquierdo
La pareja contará
1, 2, 3, 4 y 5
El merengue va empezar
Aproveche pa bailar
La tambora suena ya
Un pasito pa lante Vironay,
Un pasito pa atrás Vironay,
Media vuelta a la izquierda Vironay,
Media vuelta na mas Vironay,
Y me viro y me viro, Vironay,
Y me vuelvo a virar, Vironay
Y me viro y me viro, Vironay
Y me vuelvo a virar Vironay, queee rico
Un pasito pa lante Vironay,
Un pasito pa atrás Vironay,
Media vuelta a la izquierda Vironay,
Media vuelta na mas Vironay,
Y me viro y me viro, Vironay,
Y me vuelvo a virar, Vironay
Y me viro y me viro, Vironay
Y me vuelvo a virar Vironay ah yayayyyyy...
Este es mi merengue compai
Un pasito pa lante Vironay,
Un pasito pa atrás Vironay,
Media vuelta a la izquierda Vironay,
Media vuelta na mas Vironay,
Y me viro y me viro, Vironay,
Y me vuelvo a virar, Vironay
Y me viro y me viro, Vironay
Y me vuelvo a virar Vironay,
Que rico!
The song titled "Sonia" by Billo's Caracas Boys is a typical merengue song that showcases the proper way of dancing to the music. The lyrics of the song suggest the proper etiquette for dancing in pairs, with the gentleman taking the lead and the lady following. The song talks about the ways in which the pair can start and follow the rhythm of the song. The lyrics indicate the importance of the tambora (an Afro-Caribbean drum) in creating the beat for the song.
The song has a fast-paced beat that encourages the dancers to move their feet to the rhythm. The song highlights the basic steps of merengue and suggests that people should enjoy themselves while dancing. The lyrics encourage people to take small steps forward and backward, turn to the left, and start all over again. The repetition of the lyrics and the dance steps adds a sense of fun and carefreeness. The song is an ode to the traditional Dominican merengue style, which is enjoyed by people across Latin America.
Line by Line Meaning
Pongan atención señores lo que les voy a contar
Listen up, gentlemen, I have a story to tell you
Nuestro típico merengue como se debe bailar
How to properly dance our typical merengue
La pareja un poco al lado dándole vista al galán
The couple standing to the side, checking out the suave gentleman
Con aires gentil gallardo el merengue va a empezar, ah yayayyy...
With gallant grace, the merengue is beginning, ah yayayyy...
Iniciando el pie izquierdo
Starting with the left foot
La pareja contará
The couple will count
1, 2, 3, 4 y 5
1, 2, 3, 4, and 5
El merengue va empezar
The merengue will begin
Aproveche pa bailar
Take advantage and dance
La tambora suena ya
The tambora is already playing
Un pasito pa lante Vironay,
One step forward Vironay,
Un pasito pa atrás Vironay,
One step back Vironay,
Media vuelta a la izquierda Vironay,
Half turn to the left Vironay,
Media vuelta na mas Vironay,
Just half turn more Vironay,
Y me viro y me viro, Vironay,
And I turn and turn, Vironay,
Y me vuelvo a virar, Vironay
And I turn again, Vironay
Y me viro y me viro, Vironay
And I turn and turn, Vironay
Y me vuelvo a virar Vironay, queee rico
And I turn again Vironay, how delicious
Este es mi merengue compai
This is my merengue, my friend
Que rico!
How delicious!
Writer(s): ANTOLIN LENES
Contributed by Sebastian K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
dasito gamer
Que ayer tan hermoso vivimos los nacidos en los años 50 a 80
Con música que invitaba a vivir
Gustavo Fonseca
tremendo ritmo el de la Billo's Caracas boy pone a bailar a cualquiera esa música yo la escucho desde hace 40 ańos y me fascina saludos desde Costa rica
juan quinones
Tremendo tema wow !! Cuando la música era un deleite escucharla y bailarla !!
ROMULO ALBERTO PATIÑO ALVARADO
Seguiremos recordando lo mejor de sus canciones qué sin dudarlo fueron y seguirán siendo todo un éxito muchas gracias a está inolvidable orquesta por lo mejor de su música
Harvy Fernando Badillo Bonilla
Estas piezas musicales del Maestro Luis María Frómeta, la firma indeleble de su impronta musical, la manera como su estilo musical siempre mezclaba saxofones con piano, bajos y en algunas se deja despachar un solo de trompeta fluida y grandilocuente que le da ese toque de jazz de big band a sus post variaciones únicas, esta es la creatividad al 400.000% que solo Billos tenía, ahí muy pocos llegaban! Por eso su música es atemporal 🥰😍
Diolixa Sanchez
Me encanta esta canción me trae gratos recuerdos de mi Padre y como bailaba con él.
Fabio Herrera Cristancho
Cómo se escucha de majestuosa la música colombiana interpretada por la Imponente Billo's Caracas Boys
Alonzo Rosas U.
Esta cancion la tenia un amigo en un disco 45 rpm y lo bailabamos en su casa en 1976... estudiabamos 3er año de bachillerato
Doris Ayala
Me pasa igual, que temazo de canción 🎉🎉🎉
Carmenza Mejia
Linda musica me trae lindos recuerdos de mi juventud alegre sana y divertida de mis fiestas en mi casa y muchos recuerdos todos lindos