Emirto de Lima

Emirto de Lima was a composer, pianist, violinist and music teacher born in the Netherlands Antilles. Although he represented Colombia, he was probably a Dutch national. De Lima first studied piano and violin alongside his father in Curaçao, then with Pedrell in Barcelona and finally at the Schola Cantorum de Paris under Vincent D’Indy. When his father was offered a job in the Colombian port of Barranquilla, but was reluctant to leave Curaçao, his son took over. De Lima earned his living with a music academy and for a time acted as Honorary Consul in Barranquilla for Liberia and Honduras. In 1911, he published his first compositions. In the late 1920s, de Lima was active in the early years of radio as a conductor. In 1942, he was the first to publish the local traditional music under the title “Folklore Colombiano”. In the following year, he established the Philharmonic Orchestra of Barranquilla as well as continuing his work as a music critic. De Lima composed several concerts and ballets. His death was said to be the result of a traffic accident, and because of his injuries and his humble surroundings, he was not adequately treated.