Facundo Cabral (birth name Rodolfo Enrique Cabral Camiñas) (May 22, 1937 – July 9, 2011) was an Argentine singer, songwriter and philosopher. He was best known as the composer of "No soy de aquí ni soy de allá" ("I'm not from here nor there"), "Pobrecito mi Patron" ("My Poor Boss"), and many other compositions. His songs have been covered by multiple Spanish language performers such as Jorge Cafrune, Alberto Cortez, Juan Luis Guerra, and Joan Manuel Serrat. Cabral protested military dictatorships in Latin America through activism and art from the 1970s onward, and his music combined mysticism, philosophy and spirituality with calls for social justice and equality. After touring the world, Cabral enjoyed popularity in his home country during the early 1980s, when Argentine radio demanded local content after the Falklands War. He was popular throughout Latin America in his lifetime and still enjoys a sizeable posthumous legacy throughout the continent. For his advocacy for peace through his work, Facundo Cabral was named a UNESCO Messenger of Peace in 1996. Biography Facundo Cabral was born Rodolfo Enrique Cabral Camiñas in the Argentine city of La Plata, one of seven children to an impoverished and illiterate mother. His father abandoned the family shortly before Facundo was born, and they wouldn't meet until Facundo was 46 years old. The young Facundo was mute, unable to talk until the age of nine. He was illiterate until the age of 14. Facundo would later recount leaving his home early at nine years old to find work for himself and for his mother, dedicated to all kinds of tasks. Later in life, Cabral would often cite his mother's reaction to his departure as a child: she told him as he left: "This is the second, and last gift I can give you. The first was to give you life, and the second one, the freedom to live it." He would travel to Mar del Plata and work odd jobs. As a young adult, he got a job as a cleaner in a hotel. There, he would often play guitar and sing to pass time or make extra money. The hotel owner saw him with his guitar and gave him the opportunity to sing professionally. In his early career he went by names such as El Indio Gasparino before settling on Facundo Cabral. He performed in over 165 countries, with his works translated into many languages.