José Amadeo Salazar

1912 - 2000

José Amadeo Salazar, a dentist by profession, was born in Colombia and died in the United States at the age of 87. He was married to Ofelia J. de Salazar for 55 years and they had ten children. He became a Seventh-day Adventist and raised his children in that faith.

Following his retirement in 1982, Salazar spent most of his time reading and writing both prose and poetry. Although lacking formal music training, he composed the tunes for several of his own poems. Among them are “Pregon” (“Proclaim”), and “Alabemos Con Cantos” (“Let Us Praise with Songs”). These two songs were arranged by his son Ruben Dario Salazar Gallego, a trained musician, and included in 99 New Songs, a song book edited by Evelyn Pursely-Kopitzke and published in 2003.

ds/2004

Source: biography in 99 New Songs, 2003.