Gervasio

José Gervasio Viera Rodríguez (27 February 1948 – 28 October 1990), also simply known as Gervasio, was an Uruguayan singer who achieved popularity in Chile in 1983, when he won the international competition of the Viña del Mar International Song Festival, with the song "Alma, Corazón y Pan". One of Gervasio's most famous compositions is "Con Una Pala y Un Sombrero", which he wrote in honour of his father, who died of lung cancer.

Life

José Gervasio was born in Cerro Largo, Uruguay, on 27 February 1948. During his first years of life, he stayed in a children's home, and left school at 9 years old. His first public appearance as singer was in 1965, and "he did not leave music anymore, because through it he could interact with people from the upper class of Uruguay," Canal 13 reported.

Gervasio emigrated to Santiago de Chile in 1967, participating in Mario Kreutzberger's TV show Sábados Gigantes. Shortly afterwards, he already had some radio hits in Chile: "La Mujer Esdrújula" (which he performed in Sábados Gigantes), and "La Azafata". Gervasio left Chile for some time, and in Argentina he formed the band Los Náufragos, with which he had hits such as "Linda Chiquilina."