[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 48 (Wednesday, March 15, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E603]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORY OF BOBBY CAPO

                                 ______


                          HON. JOSE E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 15, 1995
  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, March 16, the New York Office of 
the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration will unveil a pictorial 
stamp cancellation to honor a giant of romantic music and borinquen 
patriotism, Bobby Capo. I rise to pay tribute to the memory of this 
extraordinary and beloved individual.
  Felix Manuel Rodriguez ``Bobby'' Capo was born in Coamo, Puerto Rico 
in 1922. Having moved to New York as a young man in the 1930s, Bobby 
Capo encountered for the first time a land of cold winters and often 
chilly race relations. He set about very early in life to overcome 
these features with the warmth of his music and personality.
  In the course of his 68 years Bobby Capo composed over 2,000 songs 
and released more than 50 record albums. But these figures do not do 
justice to the influence of this superb artist. Possessing a lyrical 
tenor, perfect pitch and supreme grace, Bobby Capo was a dynamic 
showman whose tours and television appearances in New York, Puerto Rico 
and the rest of the United States and Latin America were vital to the 
popularization of the romantic style. His great ballads ``Piel 
Canela,'' ``Juguete'' and ``Sin Fe,'' sung by hundreds of artists 
around the world, are timeless classics that will forever convey the 
mystery of romantic love.
  Mr. Speaker, as the first Puerto Rican to direct his own television 
shows and appear in Mexican films, Bobby Capo was a theatrical 
phenomenon as well. But he was much more than an entertainer. A man for 
all seasons, in his later years he became increasingly involved in 
public affairs. He served as Director of the New York Office of the 
Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration, he founded and was the 
first president of the Puerto Rico Guild of Artists, and in numerous 
capacities promoted a better understanding of Puerto Rican and Hispanic 
culture. Moreover, in many personal acts of advocacy and political 
action he proved himself a dedicated and energetic defender of the less 
fortunate in our society.
  Mr. Speaker, I was extremely privileged to have known Bobby Capo, to 
have had him as an inspiration and a mentor. His romanticism, his 
devotion to the island of his birth, and his sheer love of life are 
elements of his spirit which have struck a deep chord with me and with 
many thousands of others. I remain a devoted fan of his enduring music 
and memory, both of which will live on forever in the hearts of his 
admirers. I ask my colleagues to join me in appreciation of the life 
and legacy of this wonderful man.


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