Curriculum

His parents were industry workers. He began to study at Bazán Apprentice School when he was fourteen. He got in touch with several political groups opposed to Franco’s regime. Then, he was a foundation member of CCOO in Ferrol (1966) and a year later he was sent to prison and was put on trial by Court of Public Order after his conduct as trade union leader.

He is a foundation member of the editorial staff of Ferrol-Análisis and secretary of the Press Club of Ferrol. From 1978 to 1983, as vice-president of the Athenaeum of Ferrol, he developed an intense activity in the revival of the historical memory of important people related to culture, celebrating homages to Rafael Dieste, Luis Seoane, Lorenzo Varela, Antonio Machado, León Felipe, García Lorca and Alberto Sánchez.

He was awarded the “Premio Diario de Ferrol á Cultura” in 2007 and La Voz de Galicia elected him one of the ‘Cien Ferrolanos del Año’.

He was a member of the jury of ‘Premios de la Crítica’ and from 1993 to 1995 he worked as a cultural advisor at the City Council of Ferro. In 1994, he was selected for the “Premios de la Crítica” (music section) together with Rogelio Groba, Xove Orquestra de Galicia and Coro de Poio and got a special mention of the jury.

He has been a member of the Consello da Cultura Galega (Music and Scenic Art Section) since 2003.

He revived Bernardo Freire’s work (1894-1983). This musician from Cedeira devoted himself to compositions and orchestra conductorship in Uruguay.

He discovered and revealed the composition work by José Arriola (Pepito Arriola 1895-1954) and the Consello da Cultura Galega published his scores and biography in a volume titled Arriola. Obra Musical. About this composer, he gave the lecture-concert ‘A Música e a intimidade da familia Arriola’ at the Consello da Cultura Galega and in the course “Curso de Música en Compostela” because of the premiere of his quartet (2006).

In 1999, he published Juan José Castro. Vida, música e liberdade, dedicated to this composer and conductor who always felt Galician although he was born in Buenos Aires.

Regarding music, he developed an extensive activity as critic and creator. Under the pseudonym ‘J. Navemer’ he signed the comments of La Voz de Galicia and the magazine Ritmo between 1986 and 1993. In 1997 he also collaborated in Música Antigua (illustrated magazine about music and history). Nowadays, he works as a music critic in Diario de Ferrol under the pseudonym of Juan M. Charlón and coordinates the summer course “Pensamento Español Contemporáneo Carlos Gurméndez”, organized by the University of A Coruña and the Press Club of Ferrol.

As a music promoter, he was a member of the panel at Cidade de Ferrol International Piano Contest until 2003. He wrote and created a show of didactic music for pupils of Primary Education, in which he fuses several expressive languages (music, image, text and theatre). The show is first presented in Ferrol and then in A Coruña, Vigo, Santiago and other Galician cities.

During the 90’s, he organized the following monographic cycles for the City Council of Ferrol and Caixa Galicia Foundation: “Nacionalismo Musical”, “El piano romántico”, “Temas populares de la Música Clásica”, “El lied romántico y la canción popular” and “Chopin, música y melancolía”.

In 1990, he organized the exhibition “Lueiro Rey, cidadán e poeta” and the musical staging created for this aim. That same year he codirected the publication of “Acero sobre el Agua” and the exhibition that reflected the life of workers of the naval industry (Empresa Nacional Bazán, today Navantia). Owing to the 50th anniversary of Bazán, he designed and coordinated the exhibition and publication of “Una historia de hombres y barcos” (1997).

He writes about the life and work of emigrated or exiled figures of Galician culture: Fontenla Leal, Rafael Dieste, Xosé Rubia Barcia, Luis Seoane and Julián Bautista. He revived and presented in Galicia the original score created by Julián Bautista for the album “Catro poemas para catro gravados” by Luis Seoane (Xilographies) and Lorenzo Varela (text).

In 2013, he was paid a public homage. Several writers, painters and musicians from Spain, Germany and Denmark participated in a book with essays, memories, photo biography and letters.