Carlos Enrique Brito Benavides

Who was Carlos Enrique Brito Benavides?

Carlos Enrique Brito Benavides was an Ecuadorian composer and pianist.

The son of musician Manuel Brito Cruz, he gained his early knowledge of music from his father and subsequently received private lessons with pianist and composer Sixto María Durán Cárdenas. He later joined the bands No. 3 Regiment Calderón, then the No. 1 Vencedores Battalion and these bands toured much of Ecuador. In Guayaquil in 1929, Brito Benavides won a prize in a contest with his group. He died in Quito, aged 51.

Many of his compositions have been recorded, but notably he composed the piece Sombras with text by the poet Rosario Sansores, during his time at Riobamba.