El aguacate
Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2026 3:49 am
This is a ver iconic piece that was composed by César Guerrero (1893-1975) and it's claimed to be composed between 1918-20. I found a score that has no name found there, no date of copy and the name of the copist but it is actually the piece since is the same melody, harmony and has the same structure but has no lyrics. Apparently that score dates from 1918-20. However, other sources tells that it was composed on 1930.
Here are some articles talking about it:
CONMUSICA:
'''The Avocado
A pasillo by César Guerrero Tamayo (1893-1975). In the Guayas Songbook (1918-1920), there is a lyric with a dedication, requesting that it be sung (or parodied) to the music of "El Aguacate" (The Avocado). Given the unusual title of this pasillo, one could almost be certain that the request in that songbook refers to the music of "El Aguacate," and that it would correspond—in its composition—to those years or slightly earlier. It is admirable that it has endured over time, as it continues to be performed to this day. Regarding the peculiarity of its name, there are several versions; however, none of them explain the lack of concordance between the lyrics and the title of the pasillo: this could be because it was originally an instrumental pasillo, to which lyrics were later added. The avocado, a fruit cultivated in various regions of the country, is an ingredient in many traditional dishes.'''
Wikipedia:
'''There are different versions regarding where the song was composed and the meaning of its title. According to academic Edwin Guerrero Blum, the song was composed during the years Guerrero Tamayo lived in the Colombian city of Pasto, and the title refers to the Colombian expression "estar aguacatado," used to describe someone in love.[1] Conversely, Alejandro Pro Meneses asserts that the title originated during an evening in Cumbayá when one of Guerrero Tamayo's sons threw an avocado seed that landed on the keyboard from which the musician was playing the pasillo.[2]
Other versions indicate that the name originated one day when the musician was in the Quito neighborhood of La Tola and a street vendor interrupted the performance of the pasillo by announcing the sale of avocados, or that the name originated in a town near the city of Latacunga, which Guerrero Tamayo visited at the invitation of the musician César Viera. After asking those present for suggestions on a name for the pasillo, they indicated that they were under an avocado tree and that this should be the title.[2]
There are also disagreements regarding the date of composition. While one version indicates that the pasillo was composed in 1930,[7] the writer Julio Pazos Barrera states that the pasillo was already circulating in 1918.[8]'''
El Universo:
'''I heard a singer from Quito on a television program recount an anecdote about how, when he performs this pasillo in Peru, people tell him he's Peruvian; in Colombia, that he's Colombian; and so on, emphasizing that we are all part of America. Given his status as a musical ambassador, he understood.
With the sole aim of fostering pride in Ecuador in each of us, I believe we must emphasize, as often as necessary, that "El Aguacate" is ours and was composed in 1930 by César Guerrero Tamayo from Quito.
If there's one thing we must instill in our new generations, it's affection and pride for our own culture. Our borders are already invaded by foreigners, our homes by foreign television programs, and our businesses by foreign products. Let's not allow them to even try to take away our musical treasures!
Dr. Ma. Elena Caballero
Guayaquil'''
El Comercio:
'''Before beginning the list, I note that "El aguacate," with lyrics by César Guerrero Tamayo, was already circulating in 1918.'''
It can be elegible for PML-Asia or PML-US?
Sources:
CONMUSICA blog article: https://soymusicaecuador.blogspot.com/search?q=aguacate
Wikipedia: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_aguaca ... ci%C3%B3n)
El Universo: https://web.archive.org/web/20210406193 ... 6E1C.html/
Here are some articles talking about it:
CONMUSICA:
'''The Avocado
A pasillo by César Guerrero Tamayo (1893-1975). In the Guayas Songbook (1918-1920), there is a lyric with a dedication, requesting that it be sung (or parodied) to the music of "El Aguacate" (The Avocado). Given the unusual title of this pasillo, one could almost be certain that the request in that songbook refers to the music of "El Aguacate," and that it would correspond—in its composition—to those years or slightly earlier. It is admirable that it has endured over time, as it continues to be performed to this day. Regarding the peculiarity of its name, there are several versions; however, none of them explain the lack of concordance between the lyrics and the title of the pasillo: this could be because it was originally an instrumental pasillo, to which lyrics were later added. The avocado, a fruit cultivated in various regions of the country, is an ingredient in many traditional dishes.'''
Wikipedia:
'''There are different versions regarding where the song was composed and the meaning of its title. According to academic Edwin Guerrero Blum, the song was composed during the years Guerrero Tamayo lived in the Colombian city of Pasto, and the title refers to the Colombian expression "estar aguacatado," used to describe someone in love.[1] Conversely, Alejandro Pro Meneses asserts that the title originated during an evening in Cumbayá when one of Guerrero Tamayo's sons threw an avocado seed that landed on the keyboard from which the musician was playing the pasillo.[2]
Other versions indicate that the name originated one day when the musician was in the Quito neighborhood of La Tola and a street vendor interrupted the performance of the pasillo by announcing the sale of avocados, or that the name originated in a town near the city of Latacunga, which Guerrero Tamayo visited at the invitation of the musician César Viera. After asking those present for suggestions on a name for the pasillo, they indicated that they were under an avocado tree and that this should be the title.[2]
There are also disagreements regarding the date of composition. While one version indicates that the pasillo was composed in 1930,[7] the writer Julio Pazos Barrera states that the pasillo was already circulating in 1918.[8]'''
El Universo:
'''I heard a singer from Quito on a television program recount an anecdote about how, when he performs this pasillo in Peru, people tell him he's Peruvian; in Colombia, that he's Colombian; and so on, emphasizing that we are all part of America. Given his status as a musical ambassador, he understood.
With the sole aim of fostering pride in Ecuador in each of us, I believe we must emphasize, as often as necessary, that "El Aguacate" is ours and was composed in 1930 by César Guerrero Tamayo from Quito.
If there's one thing we must instill in our new generations, it's affection and pride for our own culture. Our borders are already invaded by foreigners, our homes by foreign television programs, and our businesses by foreign products. Let's not allow them to even try to take away our musical treasures!
Dr. Ma. Elena Caballero
Guayaquil'''
El Comercio:
'''Before beginning the list, I note that "El aguacate," with lyrics by César Guerrero Tamayo, was already circulating in 1918.'''
It can be elegible for PML-Asia or PML-US?
Sources:
CONMUSICA blog article: https://soymusicaecuador.blogspot.com/search?q=aguacate
Wikipedia: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_aguaca ... ci%C3%B3n)
El Universo: https://web.archive.org/web/20210406193 ... 6E1C.html/