A Soldier's Story: Sergeant Rafael Hernández Marín
A Soldier's Story: Sergeant Rafael Hernández Marín
Sergeant Rafael Hernández Marín was born in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, on October 24, 1892. As a child, he helped support his family by rolling cigars, but his true passion was music. By the age of twelve, he was studying in San Juan, where he developed the musical talent that would later make him a legend.
Sergeant Hernández was proficient in several instruments, including the clarinet, tuba, trombone, violin, piano, and guitar. By the time he was fourteen, he was performing with the Cocolia Orchestra.
While working as a musician in North Carolina, Hernández met jazz bandleader James Reese Europe, who recruited him, his brother Jesús, and other Puerto Rican musicians to join the 369th Infantry’s military band—known as the Harlem Hellfighters Band, or Orchestra Europe. He deployed to France during World War I with this historic unit.
The Harlem Hellfighters Band is credited with introducing jazz to Britain and France, sparking the genre’s international popularity.
After the war, Sergeant Hernández continued to shape the world of music. He formed several bands, composed hundreds of songs, and served as director of the Teatro Fausto in Havana. He later studied at the National Music Conservatory in Mexico and became director of the orchestra at WIPR Radio, Puerto Rico’s government-owned station.
Beyond his musical legacy, Sergeant Hernández is also recognized as the founder of minor league baseball in Puerto Rico.
Sergeant Rafael Hernández Marín passed away from cancer on December 11, 1965, and rests at Cementerio Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
He was posthumously inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame and is celebrated as one of the most influential Latin composers in history. His beloved song “Preciosa,” which expresses his deep love for Puerto Rico, has been performed by many artists, including Marc Anthony, who famously sang it at Madison Square Garden.
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a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in Salem, Virginia.
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