Hugo Blanco

A lauded Venezuelan musician and songwriter, Hugo Blanco wrote some of the country's most discernible songs and pioneered the music style orquídea, a festive blend of salsa, merengue, and joropo. Born in Caracas in 1940, Blanco took up the cuatro at the age of 15, and taught himself how to play via the radio. In 1958, at age 18, he composed "Moliendo Café," which would go on to become an international sensation, with nearly 800 versions of the song recorded over the years in multiple languages -- Blanco himself didn't record the song until 1961. During that time he began compo...