David Hernandez

Mexican Musician and bandleader (December 29,1921 - July 29, 2007)

He was born on December 29, 1921 in Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco, Mexico. At the age of ten David was bought a saxophone by his mother and began taking lesson from his uncle, band leader and composer Apolonio Moreno.

David decided to go to Mexico City in order to continue his studies at the Conservatorio Nacional de Música in Mexico City. It was here that, in 1939, he joined the Conservatorio orchestra “Swing Juvenil Aragón,” which was made up of students from the school. In 1940, he graduated in both tenor saxophone and clarinet before returning home to Lagos de Moreno where he formed "La Primer Orquesta al estilo de la Ciudad de México" that would perform at the annual Festival de México in August of that year.

On returning to Mexico City he formed the now famous orchestra David Hernandez with his Violins and Orchestra, which he would go on to lead for 65 years. David also went on to work with orchestras such as Mario Ruiz Armengol, the Marimba Hermanos Domínguez, José Sabre Marroquín, Pablo Beltran Ruiz, Ismael Diaz, Ray Montoya, Chucho Rodriguez, "El Chamaco" Dominguez, Rafael Hernández "El Jibarito," and others.