Félix Pérez Cardozo

Although mentioned as «Motivo popular» in encyclopedias and Paraguayan music books, the collection and final arrangement of this work are attributed to the genius of Pérez Cardozo.His contribution to the development and popularization of the Paraguayan harp was significant, introducing technical innovations such as the expansion of the sound range through more strings, the independence of the hands, the use of broken chords for the paraguayan polka, and the enrichment of the technical resources of the right hand, including chords and melodies with all five fingers, tremolos, glissandos, and other effects.He was the son of Teodoro Pérez and Cándida Rosa Cardozo, and married Avelina Victoria Sánchez Saenz, an Argentine national, with whom he had a daughter named Ángela Rosa.

He also had another daughter, Bienvenida Pérez (Pya), who inspired his compositions «Bienvenida», «Ángela Rosa», and «El Sueño de Angelita».He lived in the Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires, on Humboldt 2101 corner Soler, a place that now houses the scientific research pole, formerly Giol warehouses. He died there at dusk while rehearsing with his ensemble. His birthplace, Hyaty, now bears his name: Félix Pérez Cardozo.Among his most notable compositions and interpretations for the harp are works that musicalize verses of poets such as Víctor Montórfano («Tetagua sapukai»), Antonio Ortiz Mayans («Burrerita», «Pasionaria», «Puntanita», «Asunceña» and «Taperé»), Félix Fernández («Rosa»), Rigoberto Fontao Meza («El arriero»), Andrés Pereira («Mariposa mi»), the Argentine Hilario Cuadros («60 granaderos»), and Emiliano R.

Fernández, considered the most important popular poet and lyricist of Paraguay, with works such as «1º de Marzo», «Che la reina (Ahama che china)», «Oda pasional», «Oñondiveminte», «Desde la selva» and «Primavera». He is also the author of «Caaguy ryakua», «Isla Pukú», the collection of the popular motif «Jaha che ndive», «Lui ryevu» and «Misiones».