The 40 years of ‘Blessed doubt’ and the 62 years of Rafa Manjarrez

*This song has a great chronological coincidence with the birthday of the famous composer and lawyer originally from Jagua del Pilar.

It was the first quarter of 1982 when Rafa Manjarrez, at that time a promising exponent of Vallenata composition, barely 22 years old, born in La Jagua del Pilar, a thriving municipality in the department of La Guajira, came across a curious coincidence: he gave his most recent lyric, ‘Bendita doubt’, to Adaníes Díaz, who was about to record with his running mate on the accordion, Héctor Zuleta. Likewise, simultaneously, in Medellín, the singer Otto Serge, a doctor by profession, was recording.

“As I already had news about the song ‘Blessed doubt’, Otto Serge asked me if I gave permission to record it. I responded that Adaníes Díaz was going to record it with Héctor Zuleta. Otto’s response was that both he and his accordion player knew that; but they didn’t care. That being the case, I didn’t see any inconvenience and gave way,” says Rafa Manjarrez.

Adds the distinguished composer and lawyer, who by the way this March 24 turns 62 years old, that he composed ‘Blessed Duda’ inspired by a beautiful girl who had him ‘tangled’, because that girl gave him ‘band’ and in Truthfully, he didn’t know if he liked it or not.

“He did not know. At that moment, whether the girl grabbed me to make some guy jealous or whether she was really in love with me. It was like that one day, in that labyrinth of sensations and with the semi-obsessive theme, I composed this song,” recalls Manjarrez, author of other beautiful pieces of Vallenato folklore such as ‘Desenlace’, ‘Señora’, ‘Mi dice de amor’, ‘Blessed verses’ and ‘Simulation’, among others.

Accompanied by the accordion of Héctor Zuleta, Adaníes Díaz brought to light, in March 1982, 40 years ago, the full-length album ‘Nuevamente Sensacionales’, under the Discos Philips label, according to Wilfrido Rosales, called ‘ The Vallenato Bible’. It was the third LP by that duo of artists who died in car accidents. One of the 12 songs that the album included was the ride ‘Bendita Duda’, by Rafa Manjarrez.

That piece was also recorded, simultaneously, by Otto Serge with Rafael Ricardo’s accordion. It was part of the album ‘As Never’. It became an immediate success due to the strength of its lyrics and Otto Serge’s cadence in interpretation.

But the song has been successful throughout all these years, and Churo Díaz sang it in the tribute he paid to his father, Adaníes. Rafa Manjarrez also recorded it with accordionist Roland Pinedo. It appeared on the album ‘A special musical work’.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMDa9vb4a9Q

In summary, Rafa Manjarrez has two great reasons to celebrate this March 24: the 40th anniversary of the emergence of his beautiful work ‘Blessed Doubt’ and the celebration of his 62nd birthday. Elegant and festive coincidence.

Rafa, congratulations and may the doubts not return because the road is long and in the distance the absences are not noticeable…

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