Published on Thursday, August 29, 2024

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff


 

Costa Rica mourns the death of Lorenzo "Lencho" Salazar-Morales, a singer, composer, and actor known as one of the most notable Costa Rican folklore artists.


Salazar passed away at the age of 92 on Wednesday at his house in La Garita Canton, Alajuela Province, surrounded by his family.


Lencho was born in Naranjo on December 4, 1931. He began his musical career at the age of five, in 1936.


Throughout his over 60-year musical career, Lencho was able to play a variety of instruments, including guitar, drums, violin, and accordion, among others.


Salazar produced and performed songs based on Costa Rican folk, such as "El Cadejos," "Maicerita Mía," and "La Segua," among many more.


In the 1990s, he starred in the television show "Un momentico con Lencho" (A Moment with Lencho in English), which aired on Channel 7 and aimed to encourage a love of Costa Rican culture via folk music and storytelling.

In 1996, the Ministry of Culture designated him an honorary member of the Popular Costa Rican Culture Gallery.

In 2001, Lencho received the Costa Rican Composers and Musical Authors Association's Award.

In 2003, the administration of then-President Alberto Pacheco de la Espriella designated him an ambassador of Costa Rican folklore.

Lencho served as a music professor at Castella Conservatory, a public institution committed to its students' artistic education.

A compilation of Lencho's songs is available on the Musica de Tiquicia channel on YouTube.

Lencho's funeral was held on Thursday at Naranjo Canton Central Cemetery in Alajuela Province.

Costa Rica's most prominent folklorist is survived by his wife Ana María Solano and eight children.

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