The year 2025 marked the centenary of the Guarania. Created in 1925 by José Asunción Flores, the genre was later recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In December 2025, UNESCO also granted the same recognition to Ñai’ũpo ceramics. Now, the Paraguayan Congress has declared 2026 as the “Centenary Year of the Birth of Luis Alberto del Paraná”.
Luis Alberto del Paraná is one of Paraguay’s most internationally renowned musicians. Paraná, like Flores, played a decisive role in projecting the country’s culture beyond its borders, selling millions of records worldwide. Throughout his career, he performed in 76 countries. Paraná became one of the first Latin American artists to tour Europe extensively during the 1960s. He recorded more than 500 songs and left an enduring legacy in global popular music.
Who was Luis Alberto del Paraná?
Luis Osmer Meza was born in Altos, in the Cordillera department, on 21 June 1926. He was the fourth of eight siblings. His father, a schoolteacher, was also a guitarist, which helped shape his early musical environment.
In 1942, together with two other musicians, he won a regional music competition that rapidly propelled his career forward. Although he never received formal musical training, he participated in school and military ensembles, where he consistently stood out.
In 1945, invited by a friend, he embarked on a tour of northern Argentina, which later expanded into Central America. The tour concluded in Mexico, where he adopted the name Luis Alberto del Paraná. That alias will be the one that would become internationally known.
Luis Alberto del Paraná, a “soldier of Paraguayan art”
In 1953, he joined the group Los Paraguayos. The Paraguayan government supported their journey to Europe as part of a broader effort to promote national music abroad. There, the group signed with a major record label. One former member later described Paraná as “the label’s spoiled child”.
His group would later be known as “Luis Alberto del Paraná and His Trio Los Paraguayos”. Under this name, they performed at iconic venues such as the Royal Albert Hall in London and Madison Square Garden in New York. They also toured Japan and numerous other countries, carrying Paraguayan music and culture across continents.
In 1962, del Paraná appeared in the film “The girl on the donkey” (La burrerita de Ypacaraí) where he provided its musical accompaniment. An Argentine production, it was filmed in Asunción and around Lake Ypacaraí, and directed by Armando Bó. Bó also directed “Thunder among the leaves” (El trueno entre las hojas), based on a short story by Paraguayan writer Augusto Roa Bastos.
One frequently cited anecdote recalls a 1963 performance for the British Royal Family. In that same event, The Beatles also played. According to accounts, members of The Beatles requested to hear Bésame mucho performed by the Paraguayan group after meeting them. In 1968, The Beatles recorded “Los Paranoias”, a title that some interpret as a phonetic play on “Los Paraguayos”.
Luis Alberto del Paraná died in London in 1974. In his song “My guitar and my voice” (Mi guitarra y mi voz), he referred to himself as a “soldier of art”, devoted to spreading Paraguayan music and culture. He also expressed a final wish to see Paraguay once more. When his remains were repatriated, radio stations across the country broadcasted the procession until his burial at Recoleta Cemetery in Asunción.
The project to commemorate his legacy
The Chamber of Deputies has now approved a bill declaring 2026 the Year of the Centenary of the Birth of Luis Alberto del Paraná, with the aim of preserving his legacy for future generations.
The legislation authorises State institutions to erect a monument in his honour along the northern section of Asunción’s Costanera, as well as the construction of a museum dedicated to his life and work. Also proposes naming a section of the southern Costanera avenue after him, in addition to issuing a commemorative coin and postage stamp.
Furthermore, the bill seeks to honour the surviving members of Los Paraguayos and to confer posthumous recognition on those who have passed away. The bill also establishes that graduating classes in 2026 will bear the designation Centenary of the Birth of Luis Alberto del Paraná.
Following its approval in Congress, the bill now dependes on the Executive Branch for promulgation or veto.
An ambassador of Paraguayan music
Regardless of the bill’s final outcome, Luis Alberto del Paraná’s place in history is unquestionable. His music has transcended generations, whether through original recordings or later reinterpretations. For decades, Paraguayan music had a true “soldier of art” travelling the world.
Luis Alberto del Paraná will remain a central figure in Paraguay’s cultural memory, and his music will continue to resonate far beyond the country’s borders.
