The Plenary Session held last week at the Olula del Río Town Hall unanimously approved that the Elementary Music Conservatory be renamed José Moreno Trujillo.
For tho
se who are wondering who José Moreno Trujillo was, below we transcribe the presentation made at the Municipal Plenary by the promoters of the proposal:
JOSÉ MORENO TRUJILLO , alias “ José el Músico ”, was born in the city of Cádiz, at the end of the winter of 1915, in the neighborhood of the Church of San Jerónimo, very carnival-like, like all the neighborhoods of La Viña, and which was to leave a mark on his future life, due to his love of music in all its forms.
He is one of eight brothers who received the protection of a family of marquises from Cadiz, who lived near the church of San Jerónimo and who instilled in José a taste for music and enrolled him in some school or conservatory of the time, where he learned the musical language, with staves, musical keys, notes, symbols, musical reading and writing.
And as a good Cadiz native, he absorbed the rhythms of comparsas, chirigotas, choirs and quartets, which would serve him well in his future life in Olula del Río. Still in Cadiz, he participated in comparsas, playing some instrument, whether string or wind. What he really liked was making musical compositions for those carnival groups.
He was getting older and life at that time was very hard. José worked in whatever he could find, because he had to fight to be able to eat. He always tried to find jobs where there was music, and so he began to work in a circus where he was part of its orchestra as a trumpet player, although he ended up playing all the instruments.
He arrived in Olula del Río at the beginning of the 1930s, working for the circus. José then felt that Olula was a quiet town, with simple and humble people and he thought that he would put down roots here forever. He made the decision to leave the circus and thought that he had to look for a job in Olula to support himself. He also looked for a partner and settled down as a citizen of the onion industry. He had his only son, called Juan, who is now very proud of his origins and his parents, José and Joaquina.
In the La Loma neighborhood he found a house, where today is San Antonio Street, right in front of the Rialto cinema. His first job was as a shoemaker, specializing in the proper use of leather.
And having decided to live among us forever, he looked towards his native Cadiz and remembering those carnival groups and comparsas, he got to work and formed groups with his friends to go out to the carnival festival in Olula, and even in Macael.
José composed the music with his scores for the instruments and Juárez wrote the lyrics for his carnival songs.
As he was a musician above all, he began to involve these same friends who came out in carnivals in his musical compositions, in the handling of various instruments, saxophone, trumpet, clarinet, bass, and with them he founded the municipal bands of both Olula del Río and Macael, where his role was as director.
He was the author of numerous musical compositions, both for carnival groups and for music bands. He also produced compositions of sacred music, which were commissioned by the priest of Olula del Río, D. José María Marín, for his religious events.
As a good onion seller, he was always ready for any party that arose, as were the wheelbarrows, in any neighborhood or even in streets that wanted a little fun for the neighbors. And there the musicians appeared with their director, already known by everyone as «Jose the Musician.»
They were given the nickname “The Tireless Ones”. Anecdotes would come up at any time during their meetings. The members would meet at the Bar del Seronero, and between drinks of wine, a composed score would be written. The same happened when they met at the local house in the village.
The members of Macael, who played in Olula’s band, and vice versa, had an enviable level of coexistence and came to profess extreme affection for each other, forgetting the quarrels that the population of the two towns used to throw in each other’s faces. Their loyalty was sacred.
In Olula, his good friend Paco el Gary was the custodian of numerous scores composed by José, which have disappeared over time and only one remains in good condition.
Thus the year 1963 arrived, when José was 48 years old. Very young and with a life to live, he left this town forever, which showed its greatest admiration, affection and respect for his figure, holding an act on the day of his death, astonishing and never before done, attended by people from all over the area, where several music bands participated, which filled the whole church and surroundings with pain, with their notes from scores made by that musician from Cadiz, generous, devoted to his friends, lover of all children and always studious and fighting for everything he wanted to achieve.