Luis Alberto Del Parana

Popular singer/songwriter, guitarist and entertainer, born in Altos, Paraguay on June 21, 1926 and known largely as the charismatic front man of "Los Paraguayos". Luis' first experience as singer came in the form of a Boy Scouts' ensemble under the leadership of Paí Pérez where he met Rubito Medina. Most of his early adult years are shrouded in tumultuous ambiguity but do agree on time in the military, numerous excursions throughout much of South- and Central America, prototype groups named "Los Paraguayos", "Los Guaireños" and/or "Trío Paraguay" with Digno Garcia, Agustín Barboza and Humberto Barua, briefly going by the stage name of "Carlos Prince" in Peru, and a seemingly equally brief marriage to French circus artist Lisette Cairoly. It was in around 1949 in Mexico where he adopted the stage name "Luis Alberto del Paraná" before returning to Paraguay in 1952. In 1953, Luis was called upon to re-join Digno and Agustín, this time on a state-sponsored and "Official Cultural Mission" with the aim of spreading Paraguayan music in Europe where the "Trio Los Paraguayos" were soon signed to Philips. At the end of that mission in 1956, he dissolved the trio and remained in Belgium to form another ensemble, the well-known "Luis Alberto del Parana y Los Paraguayos", with which he enjoyed a long string of recordings, world-wide tours and performances before statesmen, royalty and the jetsetting society of the day. In the sixties Luis married Spanish dancer Carmen González Caballero, and he is the most successful Paraguayan artist to date. Luis Alberto del Paraná died in the Pembridge Court Hotel, London on September 15, 1974 from a cerebral hemorrhage shortly before a tour to Moscow. He was 48 years old and had suffered from high blood pressure. Luis was given a state funeral in Asunción, Paraguay and a posthumous "Nacional del Merito" award in the rank of Commander. His younger brother Reynaldo Meza continued the group's legacy.