[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 160 (Thursday, November 13, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2354]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO LUIS CARLOS MEYER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSE E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 13, 1997

  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Luis Carlos Meyer 
for his contributions to this Nation and to Latin America as one of the 
most talented composers of folkloric Colombian music.
  Mr. Meyer is one of the most famous exponents of ``cumbia'' of this 
century. He is credited with being one of the pioneers who introduced 
``cumbia'', a dancing rhythm from the seashores of Colombia, in the 
United States, Canada, and Latin America.
  Mr. Meyer, now 81, has been living in the Laconia Nursing Home, in 
the Bronx, for the past 5 years.
  Reporter Javier Castano recently wrote a series of articles on Mr. 
Meyer which were published in the Spanish newspaper El Diario/La 
Prensa, in New York, after a Puerto Rican nurse who tended Mr. Meyer 
informed him that the famous musician was living in the nursing home. 
Mr. Meyer has recovered his zest for life since friends and other 
members of the community started to visit him again and paid tribute to 
him after they learned of his whereabouts from the newspaper articles.
  Mr. Meyer was born in 1916 in Barranquilla, Colombia. His talent for 
singing and playing the guitar was evident at a very young age. Already 
a renowned musician in his home town, he left for the capital city of 
Bogota, where his career continued to bloom.
  In 1945, at the age of 29, Mr. Meyer decided to bring his music to 
other Latin American countries, the United States, and Canada. In Latin 
America, he enjoyed enormous success with his many compositions. 
``Micaela,'' ``El Hijo de Mi Mujer,'' ``Linda Jorachita,'' and 
``Tropico'' were immediate successes in Mexico, Venezuela, and Panama. 
He also performed various roles on the large screen in Mexico.
  According to some accounts, Mr. Meyer came to New York City in 1958. 
He sang with the Xavier Cugat Orchestra and performed on the stages of 
``El Chico,'' ``Chateau Madrid,'' and ``Fantasy'' in New York City. HIs 
music was acclaimed by the audiences of the time and continues to be in 
demand in many communities in the United States. He has been living in 
New York City over the past 30 to 40 years.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Luis 
Carlos Meyer for his life of artistic achievements and for sharing his 
music with the peoples of this Nation. His gift to our country and to 
our people has not gone unnoticed.

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