On the 9th of January 1924 “Julian Basilico Coco” was born. He grew up in Curacao and taught himself how to play the cuatro, mandolin and guitar.
Julian Coco
At the age of 29 Julian received a scholarship at the Amsterdamsch Conservatorium in Amsterdam, were he went to study bassist. After graduating he went on to study to become a professional guitarist, shortly after he became a bassist in an orchestra in Utrecht called Utrechts Symfonie Orkest and he also became a guitar teacher at a music school.
His music career wasn’t only in school halls. He has performed in front of many people and also played with names such as Charlie Byrd, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Kenton, Wes Montgomery and so the list goes on. He even once performed for the queen of the Netherlands.
On the 4th of February 2013, It was a sad day in the jazz industry as Julian Coco passed away at the age of 89 in the Netherlands. The announcement of his death sparked an outpouring of grief among the Curaçaoan community, as well as a series of special events in his honor. He was cremated on February 8th, and his ashes were returned to his native island.