Dominican singer-songwriter Cheo Zorrilla, known for songs like “Apocalipsis” and “Al nacer cada enero,” has passed away.
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Zorrilla died after suffering a stroke, confirmed Valerio de León, president of the General Society of Authors, Composers, and Music Publishers (SGACEDOM), according to Diario Libre. He was 75.
“Cheo was one of the great Dominican composers. With his death, Dominican society, the country, loses one of its best composers,” de León said. “Cheo represented the highest values in composition. A consecrated composer, with good lyrics, good melodies, who managed to greatly impact music… Cheo Zorrilla was a great composer and an excellent person. As composers, we feel very sorry for his passing. He was a man who could continue enriching the national repertoire.”
Jesús Antonio Zorrilla, born in 1950 in Tamayo, Bahoruco province, developed an early passion for music, according to De Último Minuto. By 13, he was playing the trumpet in his community band. He later became one of the Dominican Republic’s most renowned composers, with his songs performed by artists like Danny Rivera, Chucho Avellanet, Basillo, and Fernando Casado.
Cheo Zorrilla’s Impressive List of Accolades
Zorrilla had an impressive career, making 26 appearances at the OTI Festival as a representative of the Dominican Republic. He earned second place twice: in 1977 with “Al nacer cada enero,” performed by Casada, and in 1980 with “Olvidar olvidar,” sung by Tati Salas. He is also known for songs like “Mi amado cirineo” and “Los hombres de rabia lloran.”
In 2016, he became the first Dominican to join the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame in Miami. He was inducted alongside Draco Rosa, Claudia Brant, Los Temerarios, Alejandro Jaen and Miguel Luna.
Meanwhile, Zorrilla’s health gained attention after singer-songwriter José Antonio Rodríguez posted on Instagram, asking for prayers for the musician. “My prayers and the prayers of an entire people are with you and your recovery, dear friend. We are all with you. You will come out stronger!” Rodríguez wrote in Spanish.
In the wake of Zorrilla’s death, Pochy Familia called him “one of the best composers the DR has ever produced… We should all feel happy to have had Cheo with that wonderful pen. We are very sorry that he left us, but we will always remember him.”