“Dagoberto Alcides Torres”. By Marlon Chicas – El Tecleño Memorioso –

Marlon Girls – El Tecleño Memorioso

532 years ago Christopher Columbus arrived in American lands with the intention of exploring new territories in favor of the Spanish crown; historical event that as children we knew as “Discovery of America, Day of the Race, Hispanic Heritage or the Meeting of Two Worlds”, among other adjectives.

Such an anniversary was imposed through blood and fire by the colonizers, bringing with them new traditions and customs towards our ancestors. In El Salvador, the conquest influenced the musical instruments that are part of our folklore, subjecting them to changes that have prevailed since pre-Columbian times, including percussion and wind instruments, as well as different types of whistles, flutes, rattles or maracas that , to date they are museum objects.

This forced them to fall into disuse after the colony, since they were linked to the indigenous religion, ceremonies or rituals and were then subject to persecution, destruction or replaced by the official one of the conqueror. But what should be understood by folklore? In the opinion of experts, it is the set of customs, beliefs, crafts, songs, and other similar things of a traditional and popular nature, which require certain characteristics to be considered such as: being of unknown author; oral tradition; as well as being expansive.

Regarding the topic, Santa Tecla has a folklorist, who adopted this municipality as his second home from 1976 to date, who we will learn about below. Dagoberto Alcides Torres Peña, was born in Nueva Concepción, Chalatenango, on March 28, 1956; son of Milagro Torres (+), and José Trinidad Peña (+); who was a marimba player and guitarist. Dagoberto is married to Verónica de Torres with whom he has 3 children.

Torres Peña, studied at the Barrio El Rosario Mixed Urban School, today Miguel Elías Guillen School Center; the third cycle at the Barrio El Centro Mixed Urban School, both in his hometown; high school at the National Institute of Baccalaureate in Arts (INBA), known as the National Center of Arts (CENAR), where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Arts, Theater option, his higher education at the University of El Salvador where he graduated in International Relations .

Dagoberto served as assistant director and stage director; head of the Performing Arts department of the former Educational Television and coordinator of the Citizens’ Culture Table of Santa Tecla (2007 to 2010); Currently he continues in music, playing the transversal flute. He was a member of the folkloric projection groups “Tahuil” which means “Light” and “Macuilli” which means “5” in the Nahuatl language; directed by the musician and folklorist researcher Israel Elías Vázquez Bojórge Let’s preserve our folklore, the legacy of our ancestors!