BY JOSÉ ALEJANDRO MARTÍNEZ / EL PILÓN
As is traditional in the farewell to those who made invaluable contributions to Vallenato music, between songs and accordions the town of San Jacinto, Bolívar, -his homeland- and Barranquilla –where he was buried– they said their last goodbye to the teacher Adolfo Pacheco.
At four in the afternoon this Monday, accompanied by family, friends and colleagues, the coffin of one of the most illustrious characters of the Montes de María arrived at his last address to the sound of the notes of ‘La hamaca grande’ and ‘El viejo Miguel’, two of his Big works.
Since early Monday morning, friends, family and fellow countrymen paid tribute to the minstrel sanjacintero after his coffin was received at the main square of the Bolivarian municipality.
A caravan escorted the remains of Pacheco Anillo to the municipal church of the population that saw him born where he received a heartfelt tribute amid songs and dances. A crowd waited until three in the morning for the vehicle that transported the body to the municipality.
“In the Church they paid homage to him, the people of the town sang to him, many cried”described Héctor Sarasti, a journalist from the town in dialogue with THE PYLON. The highest local and departmental authorities, as well as the children and other relatives, were present at the scene.
At noon, the coffin returned to the capital of the Atlantic where I was in a burning chamber a few hours before being buried in the Gardens of Eternity Cemetery.
“All of us authors receive the strength of his talent, his wisdom, his conditions, his entrepreneurship to teach and share the intricacies of the art of making music. (…) On behalf of Sayco, I want to express the mourning caused by sudden departure of our glorious Adolfo Pacheco”were the words of the president of Sayco, the composer Rafael Manjarrez, who led the tribute of the society of authors in the cemetery.
COULD NOT BE CREMATED
Although the teacher’s wish was to be cremated, according to what he told Noticias Caracol Jose Antonio Pachecothe composer’s youngest son, apparently, due to legal issues -the Prosecutor’s Office is conducting an official investigation- will not be able to do his last will but after 4 years. “He would be cremated and his ashes would be transferred to the municipality of San Jacinto”Pacheco pointed out.
The death of the composer was confirmed Saturday morning after being admitted to a clinic in Barranquilla after suffering a traffic accident the previous week. The traffic accident happened last Thursday January 19 in the way San Juan Nepomuceno – Squid (Bolívar).