José Asunción Flores

José Asunción Flores, whose birth name was José Agustín Flores, was born on August 27, 1904, in the Ricardo Brugada neighborhood of Asunción, popularly known as La Chacarita. He was the son of Magdalena Flores, who worked informally at the Guasu Market, and of Juan Volta, who did not legally recognize him. He adopted the name 'Asunción' in honor of the capital of Paraguay.From a young age, Flores contributed to the family economy by doing informal jobs such as shoe shining and street selling. At the age of 12, he joined the Music Band of the Police, where he began his musical training under Italian instructors. There he specialized in the trombone, which provided him with a technical base that would influence his career as a composer.During his early years, Flores showed interest in studying and reinterpreting Paraguay's popular music, with the aim of creating a unique musical style.

In 1924, after experimenting with melodic and rhythmic structures based on traditional motifs such as «Mba'érepa reikuaase», he began to develop a new musical genre that he called «guarania». This style was characterized by its slow tempo, expressive accentuation, and a strong lyrical charge, reflecting Paraguay's sensitivity and imagination.The first work of this genre was «Jejui», presented in January 1925 at the Hotel Cosmos, now known as Asunción Palace Hotel. In 1926, he composed «Arribeño resay» (lágrimas de un arribeño) with lyrics by Rigoberto Fontao Meza and «Ñasaindýpe» (a la luz de la luna) with verses by Félix Fernández.