This just in from the I-Had-No-Idea-He-Was-Still-Alive Department:

Venezuelan composer Inocente Carreño has died at the age of 96. Though you have to dig deep in order to find much information about him in English, he was regarded as Venezuela’s national composer. His brother, Francisco, was a noted specialist in folklore, and the two used to play guitar with their sisters, as Inocente explored the popular forms of joropos, meringues, waltzes, rumbas, tangos, and boleros.

He attained prominence as both a composer and an educator, founding a music school and advocating for the arts. Over the course of his illustrious career, he was showered with awards, while he wrote symphonies, symphonic poems and other orchestral works, as well as vocal, chamber and instrumental music.

In 1954, he composed his most famous work, “Margariteña.” A tribute to his homeland, the main theme was inspired by the folk song “Margarita is a tear.” Other traditional melodies are woven into the work’s impressionistic tapestry, so that the piece is regarded as a classic of musical nationalism.

Carreño remained active into his 90s. Descansar bien, mi amigo.

Carreño championed by The Dude: