Neneco Norton

Neneco Norton (born Elio Ramon González; December 8, 1923 – March 9, 2013) was a Paraguayan musician, composer and orchestra director. Early life and career Norton was born on December 8, 1923, in Asunción, Paraguay. His parents were Apolonio Benitez and Hermelinda González. Neneco got his start in music when he played trumpet in the battalion band of the Rojas Silva battalion of Salesianito, a private school in Asunción. His lessons in elementary music theory were taken with Ernesto Pérez Acosta. He learned theory and higher sight-reading with maestro Jose de Jesus Villalba, and then studied harmony with Professor Otakar Platill. While in the Rojas Silva battalion, he formed a musical group. Its members included Luis Meza Osmer, Rubito Medina on guitar, Benjamin Cabañas on clarinet, and a singer who later would be famous: Luis Alberto del Paraná. Norton was awarded the title of senior professor of theory and music theory at the Jorge Baez Conservatory. He formed his own orchestra, Los Caballeros del Ritmo, a remarkable grouping comprising Rudy Heyn, Chon Duarte, Paco Gomez, Victorio Ortiz and Nelson Mendoza. The band went on tour throughout Paraguay, as well as to cities in Argent