Luis Alfonzo Larrain Biography: Music, Ethnicity, Awards, Net Worth, Songs, Religion, Height, Collaborations, Wife

Luis Ramón Alfonzo Larrain, popularly known as Luis Alfonzo Larrain, was a cornerstone of Venezuelan popular music, earning the nickname “Magician of the Dancing Music” for his mastery of rhythms that energized ballrooms and airwaves across Latin America.

From the 1920s into the late 20th century, he composed lively boleros, guarachas, and merengues, led an orchestra that rivaled the era’s top bands, and produced recordings that celebrated the spirit of Caribbean festivity.

Profile

• Full Name: Luis Ramón Alfonzo Larrain
• Stage Name: Luis Alfonzo Larrain
• Born: 22, July 1911
• Date of death: 4, July 1996 (Aged: 84 years old)
• Birthplace: La Victoria, Aragua, Venezuela
• Nationality: Venezuelan
• Occupation: Composer, Music Director, Producer
• Height: Unknown
• Parents: Alejandro Alfonzo Pérez and Ana Larrain Martínez
• Siblings: Unknown
• Spouse: Elisa Soteldo (ex), Eduvigis Bravo (ex)
• Children: Luis Federico Alfonzo Soteldo, Keyla Alfonzo Soteldo Hermecheo, Gustavo Eduardo Alfonzo Bravo, Mariela Alfonzo Bravo
• Relationship: Married
• Net Worth: $500,000

Early Life and Education

Luis Ramón Alfonzo Larrain was born on July 22, 1911, in La Victoria, Aragua, Venezuela, to Alejandro Alfonzo Pérez and Ana Larrain Martínez. No siblings are documented.

After his father’s death in 1918, his mother moved the family to Caracas, settling in La Pastora, where she encouraged his musical talent and taught him to sing and play the cuatro. By age nine he had written his first composition, later performed by Spanish singer Pilar Arco.

As a teenager, he studied harmony and composition with Vicente Emilio Sojo, founder of the Orquesta Sinfónica Venezuela, though he pursued music through practical experience rather than formal degrees.

Of mixed Spanish and Indigenous Venezuelan heritage, he was raised Catholic but kept his religious life private.

Career

Luis Alfonzo Larrain kicked off his musical path in the mid-1920s, forming a casual band with neighborhood friends at just 15—handling banjo and vocals alongside violin, piano, saxophone, and drums—that played informal gigs in Caracas amid the repressive Gómez dictatorship.

By 1927, the group had evolved into the Orquesta Flava, named for their vibrant uniforms, and debuted on Broadcasting Caracas radio, charming audiences with lively covers of popular tunes.

His big break came in 1937 with the launch of the Gran Orquesta Alfonzo Larrain, a polished ensemble that fused Venezuelan merengue and boleros with Caribbean flair; early hits like his own No me sigas mirando (sung by Mario Suárez) and El cigarrillo (by Juan Manuel Barrios) caught fire on radio waves, earning him the nickname “Magician of the Dancing Music” for his seamless, crowd-pleasing arrangements.

The 1950s marked Larrain’s golden era, as his orchestra toured Colombia and the Caribbean, packing clubs and rivaling Billo’s Caracas Boys in popularity—yet he and bandleader Billo Frómeta shared a mutual respect that sparked collaborations.

He scored the 1939 film Carambola, blending humor with original tracks, and in 1955 co-founded the Sociedad de Autores y Compositores de Venezuela (SACVEN) alongside Frómeta and others, championing composers’ rights amid the vinyl boom.

Standout releases included guarachas like Las cosas son como son (Elio Rubio) and cha-cha-chás such as Enrique Jorrín’s El alardoso, while vocalists like Celia Cruz and Graciela Naranjo brought his charts to life; by decade’s end, his productions had solidified Venezuelan dance music’s regional swagger.

Luis Alfonzo Larrain’s orchestra disbanded in 1958 for a brief pivot to ad jingles in film and TV, but he revived it in 1959 before stepping back in 1961 to helm SACVEN full-time and run his Estudios Larrain recording studio, where he mentored emerging talents and preserved tropical sounds on disc.

His catalog—over 100 pieces spanning boleros like Maracaibo (Jesús Sanoja) to festive merengues such as Esta es Venezuela (César Viera)—shaped generations of performers, from Rafa Robles to international stars.

Through advocacy and innovation, he transformed ephemeral party beats into enduring cultural touchstones, inspiring the Premio Luis Alfonzo Larrain award for musical excellence that honors his trailblazing spirit.

Social Media

• Luis Alfonzo Larrain does not have a social media account.

Personal Life

Luis Alfonzo Larrain married three times. His first marriage was to singer Elisa Soteldo, a leading vocalist in his orchestra, and they had two children: Luis Federico and Keyla Alfonzo Soteldo.

His second marriage was to pianist Eduvigis “Vivita” Bravo, who helped run Estudios Larrain; they had two children, Gustavo Eduardo and Mariela Alfonzo Bravo, the latter later working as an audio specialist at SACVEN.

Details of his third marriage remain private. Away from the spotlight, Larrain enjoyed quiet family evenings and occasionally wrote lighthearted humor columns about everyday life.

Discography

• Quisiera (1950s)
• Vente pa’ca (1950s)
• Amandanos (1950s)
• Dulce y Picante (1950s)
• El Morrocoy (1950s)
• El pon pon (1950s)
• Se que me Quieres (1950s)
• Rosendo (1950s)
• Oye mi Cancion (1950s)
• La Pelota (1950s)

Net Worth

Luis Alfonzo Larrain had an estimated net worth of about $500,000 at the time of his death in 1996.

His earnings came from orchestra performances and international tours during Venezuela’s mid-century economic boom, royalties from SACVEN-managed compositions that remained popular over time, and revenue from Estudios Larrain, which produced records and jingles for radio and film.