BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY : AFRO-DUTCH " JULIAN B. COCO " IS A WORLD RENOWNED CLASSICAL GUITARIST/BASS MUSICIAN : GOES INTO THE " HALL OF BLACK GENIUS "

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                                                                                                                                                                               " JULIAN B. COCO "  world renowned classical/bass musician "                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Welcome to Black Heritage Amsterdam Tours

Today in Afro-Dutch History: World renowned classical guitarist/bass musician, Julian B. Coco passed away in Holland at the age of 89. Mr. Coco was a phenomenal musician who performed on many international stages with other great musicians including: Wes Montgomery, Charlie Byrd, and Dizzy Gillespie.

Julian Coco was born in Curaçao in 1924 and lived there until 1953. The son of a poor family, he was self-taught on the bass. In the 1940's and 50's he played with all the musicians in Curacao: Benny Priviana, Padu del Caribe, Rufo Wever. Corson: "On the island in those days you did not have just the cross-overs between the different musical styles you had the European-orientated Antillean waltzes and mazurkas for the elite of the city, and the tambú, brought by slaves from Africa. That music was taboo in the city. Farm workers came into the city to work, brought their music...Julian is a product of that time" (Guitarist Marlon Titre).

In 1953 Mr. Coco received a scholarship to study in the Netherlands at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. He was the first Antillean student to graduate; and, later he joined the Utrecht Symphony Orchestra, but he always loved and continued to perform Antillean music. (Source: Volkskrant article 2010 /Als-Julian-een-noot-speelt-swingt-het-a…)

Take this beautiful journey through the history of his music that also pays tribute to his musical genius. He will be missed, but we are thankful his music will live on!

Julian Coco

Julián Basilico Coco ( Willemstad , January 9 1924 - Laren , February 4 2013 ) was a Dutch bassist and guitarist of Curaçao descent. He played with Charlie Byrd , Dizzy Gillespie , Stan Kenton , Yehudi Menuhin , Wes Montgomery and Andrés Segovia .

Coco grew up in a poor family in Otrabanda and taught himself cuarta , mandolin and guitar playing. In 1953 he received a scholarship and went to the Netherlands where hecontrabass studied at the Amsterdam Conservatory in Amsterdam. After he graduated, guitar introduced major. Then Coco decided to study guitar. He was one of the first guitarists who registered. His teachers were Dick Visser and Co Pfister

Coco was bassist in the Utrecht Symphony Orchestra and guitar teacher at the music high school in Hilversum . In 1963 makes Ton Hasebos the documentary Who is Julian B. Coco about him that was broadcast by the VPRO .

In March 1956 Coco married Helena Blans, who had studied violin at the Amsterdam Conservatory. The couple had two sons and lived initially in Utrecht ^[1] and later in De Meern. ^[source?]

A bust of Coco On June 24, 2004 next to the Colon mall unveiled Willemstad. It was created by the Venezuelan artist Julio Cesar Briceño, initiated by Stanley Ignacio. ^[2]

The last years of his life lived Coco in the Rosa Spier house in Laren. He died at the age of 89 and was cremated on February 8, 2013 at the crematorium and The Rest toBilthoven , ^[3] after which his ashes would be sent to Curaçao. ^[4]

Coco is seen as a musician in the film Boys, boys, what a maid (1965) by Pim de la Parra . He also had a role in The Antichrist (1973) Roeland Kerbosch .

Discography [ edit ]

"Julian B. Coco", issued on LP in 1968 by a branch of the Polydor label, Polydor Special. The album contains 12 songs. Under the musical direction of Matt Mathews this album was arranged.