Cheo Zorrilla, the musician influenced by his friendship with Danny Rivera

Dominican composer Cheo Zorrilla died this Sunday at the age of 75, leaving behind a legacy of romantic music .

Recognized for his talent and his romantic compositions for great Latin American voices, the musician suffered a stroke .

One of the greatest achievements of his career as a composer has been the songs performed by the outstanding artist Danny Rivera .

"With Broken Wings" and "Men of Rage Cry" fill everyone who hears them with emotion and are a testament to their close friendship and working relationship that spans decades.

Influence of Danny Rivera

Although he was drawn to his passion, music, as a child and played the guitar while living in Santo Domingo , Cheo Zorrilla began writing ballads because of his friendship with Danny Rivera , which began in 1974.

This was confessed by the artist in an interview in the morning newspaper El Día conducted in September 2024 by journalist Marivell Contreras .

• "I really liked his music , and that made me follow a very similar path to what he did," Zorrilla said.

When talking about the number of songs the Puerto Rican who became a Dominican citizen recorded, he had to think a bit because of the large number and concluded that there were " about 30 or so songs."

In that archival interview , the artist revealed that he recorded two Christian albums with Rivera, all of which were written by Zorrilla. The release of this album has not been announced.

One of the last times Danny and Cheo were seen together on stage was in 2023 with the show "Bohemia entre amigos" at Escenario 360, produced by Joaquín Geara, CEO of Escenario 360.

• Danny Rivera emphasized that Zorrilla was a great human being, whose aura immediately attracted him, touching his heart, as if he had known him all his life.

Zorrilla praised the fact that "Rivera was able to turn any dull song into a masterpiece that touches the soul of music lovers, made with love and for love . Feeling the sense of friendship and the sonority that the music performed by Danny Rivera gives us makes us appreciate each song ."

An emotional achievement

https://resources.diariolibre.com/images/2025/06/09/d297bcbd-fd6c-481f-baa1-f1da47e319e7-429135bd.jpg

In the interview with the morning television show El Día, Cheo recalled when he learned of his recognition in the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame (LSHOF), which aims to recognize the work and musical careers of composers in the Latin music industry, thus rewarding their effort behind each song .

Zorrilla learned about it through an article in a national newspaper. He was nominated for the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame alongside Julio Iglesias , Joan Manuel Serrat, Alberto Cortez, Manuel Alejandro, and José Feliciano.

"When I saw my name there, I was so surprised because I had no contact with the award organizers. After that, I thought, 'Who knows how many years it will take before they nominate me again?'" she told Marivell Contreras .

"It turns out that four years later, (2016), I found out again in the newspaper that I was nominated and this time I was elevated to the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame ," he said.

That year he joined the list of select artists with this achievement, including Puerto Rican Draco Rosa , the Mexican group Los Temerarios, Spanish musician Alejandro Jaén, Argentine Claudia Brant and Mexican composer Miguel Luna.

In this Hall of Fame are the names of Cubans Emilio and Gloria Estefan , Argentine Diego Torres, Panamanian Omar Alfanno, Puerto Rican José Feliciano and Spaniard Julio Iglesias , among others.

Wake

The news of Cheo Zorrilla's departure has caused grief in the artistic class, such as Valerio de León , president of the General Society of Authors, Composers and Music Publishers ( SGACEDOM ), who confirmed the news this Sunday.

• The remains of the renowned Dominican singer-songwriter will lie in state at the La Paz Chapel of the Blandino Funeral Home on Abraham Lincoln Avenue this Monday, June 9, starting at 2:00 p.m.

Zorrilla will be transferred on Tuesday, June 10 at 10:00 a.m. to the Puerta del Cielo Cemetery , where he will receive a Christian burial.

The information was provided by his family on behalf of his wife, Maura Soto de Zorrilla ; his children, Pamela Zorrilla and Álvaro Sánchez; his grandchildren, Frank Omar and Elena; his siblings; and his nephews and nieces.

The composer named Eliseo Zorrilla Gómez was an active member of the Voces de Alegría Choir of the Parish of Jesus Christ, the Sovereign and Eternal Priest, where he attended, and which expressed its condolences.

TOPICS -