Biography of Agustin Barrios Mangore - Part 1

Early Years

In the year 1885, Barrios was born in the small and quiet town of San Juan Bautista in the Department (district) of Misiones. Located at Southern Paraguay, an agricultural and undeveloped area, as was much of the country. If you would have seen this simple little town at the time Barrios was born, and then today, you wouldn’t notice many changes, except two monuments to his memory in the central plaza. Although born to a musical family, nobody would have guessed that this boy in this small country in South America would become one of the most successful masters of an instrument.

Agustín’s father was an Argentinean, Doroteo Barrios, married to a Paraguayan woman, Martina Ferreira. Doroteo held the position of Argentine vice consul in the Misiones Department. Martina was a school teacher. Agustín probably inherited from her the love for poetry and literature.

Both parents were cultured persons, who loved the arts. Doroteo had an extensive library, one of the most complete in the area of Misiones. Seven sons were born to them: Rómulo (1874), Héctor (1875), Virgilio (1874), José (1881), Agustín (1885), Diodoro (1888) and Martín (1895).

Doroteo played the guitar, and with his brothers Pedro and Cornelio, who played the violin and the flute formed a musical trio that played for special occasions. Doroteo was a folk guitarist who played rhythm to popular tunes, such as polcas, vals and zambas. Barrios learned by imitating his father. Doroteo got for him a small guitar from which he “drew extraordinary sounds” and delighted his friends.

Later, his family formed a new “small orchestra”. Rómulo played the harp, Héctor the violin, Virgilio the flute and José, Agustín and Diodoro played guitars.

Barrios’ only teacher, Sosa Escalada

In 1898, Barrios met one person that would be one of the most influential in his life: Gustavo Sosa Escalada (1844-1944). He was an argentine-born Paraguayan. He spent his youth in Buenos Aires where he studied classical guitar with Carlos García Tolsa, Juan Alaís and Antonio Ferreyro.

He returned to Paraguay in 1895, where there is a record of his participation in a concert in Asunción. He taught classical guitar from 1897 to 1909 in a private school. He utilized the guitar methods of Fernando Sor, Dionisio Aguado and Fernando Carulli. He had a friendship with Héctor Barrios, which led him to spend some vacation time in San Juan Bautista in 1898. During this stay in the Barrios home he first heard Agustín play the guitar. He immediately began giving lessons to the talented boy. And then advised his parents to send him to Asunción to continue with his studies of music and the guitar.

Later, in a Guatemalan newspaper, in 1933, Barrios declared about this first meeting:

“I listened to him play and great was my surprise in discovering that the “pampa instrument” that I played with such joy contained such marvelous possibilities.”

To the Capital

In 1899 young Agustín went to Asunción. He lived with his older brothers and studied guitar with Sosa Escalada. He entered the National High School in 1901. He was 15 years old, two years older than most of his fellow first-year students.

Barrios was a talented artist who many times would draw caricatures of classmates and teachers while classes where in session. He also was an avid reader, whose favorites were Don Quijote, Martín Fierro and A Thousand and One Nights.

By 1903 he became more and more involved with the guitar and left high school. No doubt during this period a good deal of time was spent studying classical guitar fundamentals and developing his skills. In December, 1903, he made his formal concert debut as a guitarist. This concert had a last minute change in its program: a singer named María Barbero was to have performed a vocal selection, due to illness she wasn’t able to assist. This gave him the opportunity of performing a guitar duo with Juan de la Cruz Samaniego, “Fantasía en Imitación al Piano” by Viñas.

Even though he was only a last minute replacement, this was an important step forward for him as an artist.

However, he realized that he couldn’t make a living from a guitar. He began trying various jobs: as a scribe at a Bank, in the Paraguayan Navy and even as a newspaper reporter. He wasn’t successful at any of these posts. His only true passion was the guitar.

Barrios and the Maestro Pellegrini

At this time he met another important person in his life and career. Nicolino Pellegrini, born in Viggiano, Potenza, Italy. Studied violin in Geneva, Switzerland and Paris. In 1888 he traveled to Porto Alegre, Brazil. He came to Asunción in 1893. Settling there, he began teaching violin, tuning pianos and organizing concerts. He then formed a student orchestra, and was the conductor for most of orchestral concerts of the day.

In 1895 was created the Instituto Paraguayo, and Pellegrini was named the director of its music program. It’s said that Barrios abandoned the National High School in 1903 to study music seriously in this Institute under Pellegrini. He also learned a bit of violin and cello.

Thanks to Barrios’ relationship with Pellegrini, the principal personality in the musical society of Asunción, his appearances in concert began to increase. As his popularity.

Barrios' early repertoire

From this time is known his original composition Abrí la Puerta mi China, the manuscript is dated December 25, 1905. This piece reveals that Barrios knew the entire range of the instrument and had a correct knowledge of harmony and modulation.

In addition to this original composition, we know he played some popular Paraguayan tunes and some music by Aguado, Sor and García Tolsa. He didn’t know Tárrega’s music yet, as it wasn’t available in South América. We also know that he played an early version of the sonatina A mi Madre.

He was constantly chosen by Pellegrini to participate in concerts, but as these concerts were sporadic, he spent his time playing serenades “every night” during the years 1905-1909. He had established a reputation as a “professor of guitar”.

By this time he was beginning to feel that he needed to travel abroad to further his career as a concert performer, as he has already conquered the small musical scene of Asunción.

He first tried to tour the small rural towns of Paraguay. But probably by a lack of market he returned to Asunción, and realizing he couldn’t make a living as a concert guitarist in Paraguay, he started teaching.

Preparing to fly

At this point he met another important person for him: Viriato Díaz Pérez, a Spaniard who emigrated to Paraguay. He influenced Barrios in the areas of philosophy and metaphysics, introducing him to theosophic doctrines and beliefs.

He also urged and helped him to leave Paraguay and seek new horizons. In January 1910 he wrote a letter of introduction to an Argentine friend, Mario Villar Sáenz Valiente, publisher of the Buenos Aires newspaper La Nación. Barrios at this time was playing concerts in Argentine towns Corrientes, Posadas and Resistencias. Valiente reportedly heard Barrios play in the town of Corrientes and invited him to come to Buenos Aires.

He now was ready to depart to the great city of Buenos Aires, which was the major center of culture in South America, the perfect place to pursue his career. His desire to depart Paraguay was also fueled by Nicolino Pellegrini who took a month long trip to Buenos Aires to arrange for the publishing of pieces by him.