The veteran and prodigious voice of Los Gofiones, Perico Lino, was definitively extinguished on the morning of this Thursday, January 18, when he was 86 years old. Pedro González Lino (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 1931) was considered one of the most notable soloists of a prodigious generation of self-taught singers of popular music from the Canary Islands who grew up under the protection of the sounds of the Spanish post-war period.
His faithful companions of Los Gofiones warn that it will be very difficult to get used to the idea of not enjoying this figure considered as one of the last legendary male voices of the folk music of the Canary Islands, a Gran Canarian who gave off affection, bonhomie and respect in his wake.
A native of the Arenales neighborhood of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the second of eight siblings, he was a Favorite Son and Gold Medal of Gran Canaria. Father of four children and husband of María Ángeles Suárez Domínguez, Maruca, the respected and beloved guitarist and soloist of the Gran Canaria group Los Gofiones, was preparing this year to celebrate its 50 years of creation, since he was co-founder and director of the aforementioned formation, in whose extensive discography there is a work especially dedicated to his unique figure, entitled 'Tribute to Pedro Lino'.
He will always be remembered for the indisputable stamp of his warm timbre of voice and his personal classic style of interpretation, the temperance and security in singing, the ability to transmit feelings of joy or sadness in the couplet, attributes that, in short, configure a differentiated personality in the field of traditional island music.
He started in music through his uncle Juan José Vega Bordón at the early age of twelve, performing Cuban-style pieces. He came to music self-taught before singing, which has undoubtedly been his hallmark. He spent whole hours when he was 16 years old listening to the masters of the Parranda de Educación y Descanso, of which he was also part of its dance corps for four years. He later joined the Coros y Danzas de España and traveled to the peninsula and Cuba as a singer and musician. Through the Coral de Santa Clara he learned about the theme 'Arroyo de palma', which was always emblematic in his intimate repertoire. Perico Lino was part of the base parranda of the legendary Spanish television program 'Tenderete' directed by Nanino Díaz Cutillas, and has shared the stage with the great names of Canarian popular music.
Since 1968 Perico Lino was part of Los Gofiones and was frequently invited to a multitude of concerts together with the most recognized soloists of the folklore of the Canary Islands. In the 50 years of existence of Los Gofiones he has been part of all the shows, concerts and record projects of the aforementioned group, and one of the greatest satisfactions recognized by the soloist himself was being able to share production with Los Sabandeños four years ago in the show called 'Manta y Estameña'. He also always liked to remember with appreciation the show promoted by Los Gofiones in the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium, 'Chroniclers of popular music'.
Contrary to the hybridization of styles in Canarian folklore, Perico Lino always defended that the soloists of the younger generations express themselves with their defined style and that they do not travel the path of imitating the veteran voices. "I never sang forced. I was looking for the natural modulations that I could face," he said about his particular way of singing.
"It will be impossible to erase his presence. A presence that will accompany us forever and especially in the year that his Gofiones begins to celebrate its half century of life. He was missing only a few months, only a few weeks... We share the pain of his family, which is also ours. Rest in peace, Perico", the group wrote on the networks as soon as the unfortunate news of his death was known.
