Happy New Year! Feliz Año Nuevo! 2009

Arsenio Rodriguez live radio air check - 1948 CUBA

Arsenio Rodriguez y su Conjunto

Buena Vista En Guaguancó 
Comp:  Luis "Lilí" Martínez Griñán

Vivo-live radio air check 1948 Cuba
Miguelito Cuni: Vocal. 

Félix Chappottin: trumpet.

Félix "Chocolate" Alfonso: tumbadora.

Antolin "Papa Kila" Suarez: bongoes.

In memoriam: Eartha Kitt

'Eartha Kitt' singer, dancer and actress who rose from South Carolina cotton fields to become an international symbol of elegance and sensuality, died Dec.25th in Connecticut of colon cancer.
She was 81

January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008
R.I.P.

Grupo Guaguancó Matancero & Papin y Sus Rumberos canta "Fuico" - Cuba Hortensio Alfonso

Grupo Guaguancó Matancero
& Papine y Sus Rumberos

Above is the "original" cover on the Cuban "Puchito" label.

With the back cover clearly and properly notating which band sings each song as well as the correct listing of the singers.

The CD which uses the same front
cover as the 1960's bootleg LP.

On the bootleg LP's that came out of this record in the U.S. during the 60's and early '70's, Antillia never properly gave the correct credits.
The CD out on "Antilla" has a very clear "re-done" sound makover, but they again failed to list correctly each band with each song title as the original back of the Puchito LP did.
Grupo Guaguancó Mantancero later became Los Munequitos De Matanzas and Papin y Sus Rumberos later became more commonly known as Los Papines.

These recordings by Grupo Guaguanco Mantanceró are amazing as both Esteban Lantrí and Hortensio Alfonso (Saldiguera y Virulilla) were young Men at the time of these recordings and their voices and harmonic interplay with each other is absolutely sublime.
And "Fuico" singing with Los Papines is also sublime.
Unfortunately both singing and playing in this style has become a lost art.

"Carnival A Santiago De Cuba" LP - 1959 Cuba

"Carnival A Santiago De Cuba"

1959
Viny LP on French 'Le Chant Du Monde' label

1. El Macuquillo Oriental
2. Conga Santiaguera
3. Suavecito - Septeto Nacional
4. Improvisation De Comparsa
5. Piruso Y Su Boina - Rolando Aguilo
6. El Manisero
7. Carabali - Burundanga
8. La Reforma Agraria - Grupo Guaguancó Matancero*****
9. Ecue Ecue - Cachao
10. Carnival song in street
11. Improvisation De Comparsa
12. Organo Oriental
13. Mi Pueblo Esta Contento - Grupo Guaguancó Matancero*****
14. Glorie A Cuba - Grupo Guaguancó Matancero*****

The now classic vinyl LP "Carnival A Santiago De Cuba" on the French 'Le Chant Du Monde' label.

There were "two" different versions/pressings of this LP.
The first one had no "spaces" between tracks, just one continuous track on side A and on side B. Each song just went right into the next one and the record had a horrible fake ("overdubbed") sound track of a live street crowd "yelling and screaming" throughout EVERY SONG.
The first pressing had three (3) songs by 'Grupo Guaguancó Matancero'.
(who later changed their name to 'Los Muñequitos De Matanzas').

The second version/pressing of this LP was much better... each song was a separate track with no fake overdubbed yelling and screaming crowd sounds, so each song was much more enjoyable to listen to.
However.... the second pressing only had two (2) of the songs by 'Grupo Guaguancó Matancero', as for some reason the third song never was put on the second LP pressing!

I have taken the missing 3rd song from the first LP (which has the fake overdubbed yelling & screaming crowd) and added it to the second pressing. #14."Glorie A Cuba "
I have also "cleaned" and "trimed" each song from the vinyl using 'Goldwave V.5' software.

This is a great LP that I remember first hearing when I was 13 years old, as my father used to play the LP a lot, he loved it.
It's really a collection, potpourri, mosaico of several different genrés of Cuban music.
All great.
For me, the "standouts" are "Piruso Y Su Boina" by 'Rolando Aguilo' with 'Juanito Marquez' on electric guitar.
The "Carabali - Burundanga" which is a Santiago style Carnival song originally dating back to well over 100 years ago.
'Ignacio Piniero's Septeto Nacional' doing "Suavecito" and 'Israel "Cachao" Lopez' doing "Ecué, Ecué" with 'Tata Güines' on Tumbadoras.
And of course the three great tunes by 'Grupo Guaguancó Matancero' featuring "Saldiguera" y "Virulilla" on vocals when they were in their "prime".
14."Glorie A Cuba" has "Chachá" playing Quinto and unfortunately has the fake overdubbed crowd sounds.
(references to Fidel, Ché & the Agrarian Reform - La Reforma Agraria)

2. Conga Santiaguera

5. Piruso Y Su Boina

8. La Reforma Agraria

13. Mi Pueblo Esta Contento

14. Glorie A Cuba

Luis 'Lilí' Martínez Griñán - Quimbombó LP - Cuba

"Quimbombó"
Luis "Lilí" Martínez Griñán
Vinyl LP on the Suave label -1960

Luis 'Lilí' Martínez Griñán, pianist, composer, arranger, with both the bands of 'Arsenio Rodriguez' and later El Conjunto De 'Felix Chappottin'.
Born in Guantanámo, Cuba Aug. 19th 1915.
Was an important influence on many other pianists, including: Chucho Valdés, Frank Fernández, Emiliano Salvador, Papo Luca, Eddie Palmieri and others.Luis "Lilí" Martínez Griñán here with his big band.

"Quimbombó" Comp: Luis "Lilí" Martínez Griñán
Vocal: Vicente Sánchez

"Lilí" Martínez with Conjunto De Felix Chappottin.

"Lilí" Martínez with Conjunto De Arsenio Rodriguez.

Orquesta Sublime - 4 LPs 1961 & 1964 Cuba

'Orquesta Sublime'
Early 1964 Egrem vinyl LP

Nobody sounds like this or even plays like this anymore.
No Envidia crap here.
Superb vocals and coro... swinging.
Ripped from vinyl @ 320

12. "Todos Los Bailan"
Ritmo Mozambique

"Que Siga La Pachanga"
Orq. Sublime
1961 Vinyl LP
(Reissued on CD, but the tracks are from vinyl)
6. "Linda Charanga"

"Rayando El Coco"
Orquesta Sublime
1961 vinyl LP
(Reissued on CD, but the tracks are from vinyl)
Alternative LP cover on Total label

1. Cuba Linda
2. Dos Perlas
3. Con El Guayo Ralla Coco
4. Linda Mujer
5. China Camina
6. Increible
7. Charanga Graciosa
8. Dos Locos
9. En La Montana
10. Echale Carbon

10. "Echale Carbon"


"Su Majestad El Danzón"
Orq. Sublime
1961 vinyl LP

1. Ignacio Pineiro
2. Estas En Mi Corazon
3. Si Quieres Venir Ven
4. Ritmo Bandolero
5. Escucha Corazon
6. Cuando No Hay Pan Come Cazane
7. Que Te Pica El Gallo
8. No Pierdas Tiempo
9. Puchi Puchi
10. Zacharias Le Gusta Bailar Charanga

Carlos Diaz 2 LPs - with Casino De La Playa, Carlos Barberia Y Kubavana, Yoyo Casteleiro & Estivil - 1950's Cuba

Two LP's featuring singer Carlos Diaz.

The first is Carlos Diaz singing on a 1959 LP with Orq.Casino De La Playa.
Orq.Casino De La Playa, while considered a Havana "society band" that didn't have the soulful sound of bands like Arsenio's, Chappottin's or Estrellas De Chocolate, but they definitely had a great swing all their own.
(Personally, I prefer the earlier 1940's recordings when Miguelito Valdés was the singer.)  
On this LP, "Recuerdos De La Habana" the "ensemble playing" of the band swings with all superb musicians.

"Recuerdos de La Habana"
Carlos Diaz con Orq.Casino De La Playa.
Panart - 1959

The second LP "Horas Intimas" features Carlos Diaz singing with three different bands:
Eulogio "Yoyo" Casteleiro y Su Conjunto.
("Yoyo" was a pianist)
Carlos Barberia y Kubavana.
And the Orchestra of Conductor Osvaldo Estivill.(in my opinion, the better of the two LPs)

Estivill was an arranger/composer/orchestra conductor. The songs Carlos Diaz sings with Estvill on here are all beautifully arranged "lush" boleros.
The songs he sings with Conjunto "Yoyo" Casteleiro and Carlos Barberia y Kubavana are very "tasty" Son Montunos and Guarachas, with great coros and several swinging tres guitar solos by "El Niño" Rivera.

"Horas Intimas"
Carlos Diaz
Panart LP - mid to late 1950's

With Conj. "Yoyo" Casteleiro ,
Orq. Kubavana de Carlos Barberia,
y Orq. de Osvaldo Estivill

6. Cabeza Dura
(Andrés "Niño" Rivera Echevarria: tres solo)

9. Oye Mi Son Montuno
Niño Rivera tres guitar.
Alejandro 'El Negro' Vivar: trumpet solo

11. A Bailar La Bamba

Eulogio 'Yoyo' Casteleiro
Osvaldo Estivill
Carlos Barberia

La Orquesta Magica De La Habana de Edesi "Calentando la Ilusion" - Cuba

'La Orquesta Magica De La Habana de Edesi' - "Calentando la Ilusion"

9. "Ay Coño".

12. "El Robo De La Embajada Sueca"


13. "Persecucion, Asaltos Y Amores
De Un Sueco En La Habana"

Luis Diaz y Los Cinco del Son - "Montuneando" - Cuba

"Montuneando"
Luis Diaz y Los Cinco del Son

Luis Diaz has a great voice.
Very tasty tres playing and the band swings.

Trio Trovarroco "Trovarroco" 2001 Santa Clara, Cuba..

'Trio Trovarroco'

A trio from Santa Clara, provincia de Villa Clara, Cuba.
Superb musicians.

Rachid López (guitar)
Maikel Elizarde (tres)
César Bacaró (bass)

1. Son De La Loma
2. La Flor
3. El Golpe De La Bibijagua
4. Trilogia De Sones
5. Ay Mama Ines
6. Una Sublime Ilusion
7. Tres Lindas Cubanas
8. El Manicero
9. Serenata
10. Santa Cecilia
11. Sucu Sucu Felipe Blanco
12. Sueno De Un Despertar
13. Homenaje A Trovadores Y Soneros

8. El Manicero

'Terceto Yoyo' - Cuba 1920's

'Terceto Yoyo' 
Cuba 1920's

The above photo is the Cuban trio: 'Terceto Yoyo'
There is only one recorded song that I have ever heard from them.

'El Cangrejito'

Video Brasil - Elis Regina e Wilson Simonal "Vem Balançar" 1966

Elis Regina & Wilson Simonal
"Vem Balançar" - 1966 Brasil

Video: Cuba - Orquesta Cubana De Musica Moderna 1966 "Mano a Mano" - Cuba

Orquesta Cubana De Musica Moderna
'Enrique Plá' & 'Guillemo Barreto' on drums.
1966 Cuba

Photos - Conj. Matamoros / Septeto Nacional - Cuba

'Conj. Matamoros'

The musician second from right holding a "Trompeta China"
(reed instrument brought to Cuba by the Chinese, late 19th century)

'Septeto Nacional' - 1927

Aragon LP cover "Cojale El Gusto De Cuba"

Orq. Aragon - "Cojale El Gusto De Cuba"
Discuba LP cover

The record label "Discuba" had many great front LP cover photos. This is one of my favorite Orq. Aragon covers, taken along the Malecón in La Habana. Check out the eyeglasses 'Richard Egües' has on.... si, those are "DA' EYEGLASSES"