Pacho Alonso - with Mariano Merceron, Bebo Valdes, Los Bocucos, Los Pachucos, Enrique Bonne, Juanito Marquez - '51 '59, '70's, '80's - Cuba

Pascasio "Pacho" Alonso Fajardo

b; Aug. 22 1928 Santiago de Cuba
d; Aug. 27 1982 La Habana, Cuba

His father was Cuban, his mother was Puerto Rican.
Pacho Alonso was 54 when he died.

Pacho Alonso

Pacho Alonso  
with Orq. Mariano Merceron in Santiago De Cuba.

Pacho Alonso con la Orq. De Mariano Merceron.
Vocal.: Pacho Alonso 
Coro: Beny Moré and Fernando Alvarez.
from 78rpm
"Aguanta Mulata"
1951

"Una Noche En El Scheherezada" 
1958, 1959
His first LP backed by Bebo Valdes and Orq.
(after Cuba "nationalized" RCA Victor it became 'Discuba')


"Que me digan feo"
1960 
The "South Florida" pressing" above. 
El Chino Pichón on Timbales and kickdrum.
Ibrahim Ferrer: coro.

Includes his big hit.... "Que Me Digan Feo"

And six killer ballads: "Jugete", "Soy Tu Ley", "llorar Es De Hombre", "Tu Has Vuelto", "Niebla Del Riachuelo" and "Este Amor Nunca Lo Podre Olvidar" that in my opinion, are his best!
My favorite version of "Sorpresa De Harina Con Boniato", with Juanito Marquez on electric guitar.

Pacho Alonso was a "masterful" bolerista (bolero-ballad singer) with a lot of jazz inflections in his style.

I know Pacho liked listening to Billy Eckstine and Johnny Hartman in the 1950's, 60's, I was told that when I lived in New Orleans in 1980 by two musicians that played in his band, both of them came to New Orleans via "the Mariel boat lift" in 1980.

The CD reissue of this LP is missing 2 boleros from the original 12 songs on the LP.

2. Juguete
 Bolero

3. Sorpresa De Harina Con Boniato
Ritmo Pilón
'Enrique Bonne': comp.

4. Soy Tu Ley
Bolero

8. Tu Has Vuelto 
Bolero

12. Este Amor Nunca Lo Podre Olvidar
 Bolero

The original 'Discuba' LP cover below.
 
The front and back cover of an E.P.
With Ibrahim Ferrer in the yellow shirt, standing in front.

"A bailar con Pacho Alonso"
 1961
With Juanito Marquez on electric guitar.
El Chino Pichón on Timbales, kickdrum.
Enrique Bonne wrote 9 of the 12 songs.

The CD reissue is missing 2 songs from the original LP
11 and 12 I added them from the original LP.

7. Con Los Pies Camino
Ritmo Pilón
'Enrique Bonne': comp.

10. Bajo Kum Kum Kum
Ritmo Pilón
'Enrique Bonne': comp.

11. Billy The Kid
Enrique Bonne': comp.
Enrique Bonne's great composition with a brief passage
of "Be-Bop" that seems to come from nowhere.

12. Niña Hipocrita
'Felix Reyna': comp.


"Pacho Alonso Y Sus Bocucos"
1964
Vinyl LP on Barclay
El Chino Pichón on timbales; kickdrum.
Ibrahim Ferrer: coro, güiro.

An obscure 1964 LP with a killer band,
A version of the Pilón "El Bajo Cun Cun Cun", but here without Juanito Marquez who played electric guitar on the original version in 1960.
And also a version of "Sorpresa De Harina Con Boniato", again here without Juanito Marquez who played on the original 1960 version.

2. Si Hable
 Bolero

6. El Bajo Cun Cun Cun 

Ritmo Pilón 
Enrique Bonne': comp
.
8. Sorpresa De Harina Con Boniato
 Ritmo Pilón
Enrique Bonne: comp.

"Pacho Alonso y Sus Bocucos"
1966
El Chino Pichón: Timbales, drum set.
Miguel Bridón: electric guitar.
Ibrahim Ferrer: coro.

Excellent recording with Vibrafono (Vibes) used in several songs.
Nice photo of the band showing El Chino Pichón in dark "eyeglasses" and Ibrahim Ferrer.
The "rhythms" written next to several of the songs on the back of the LP are not exactly correct.
I've included a more accurate rhythmic interpretation below.

2. En Guayabero
Son-Pilón

3. Ocupate De Mi
Guaracha-Pilón

4. En El Rincon Del Olvido
Guaracha-Pilón

7. Cancion De Mi Habana
Cancion-Rumba

9. Cemento, Ladrillo y Arena
Son Montuno

"Pacho Alonso Y Sus Pachucos" 
1971
El Chino Pichón on Timbales, Jesús Pérez, drum set

A great early '70's LP with several
songs using Pacho's "Ritmo Simalé"

1. Divertido simalé
Ritmo Simalé
'Pacho Alonso': comp.

6. Portobelo
Ritmo Simalé

7. Simalé a lo Bonne
Ritmo Simalé
'Enrique Bonne': comp.

12. Cuando Llegue el tren
Ritmo Pilón'Enrique Bonne': comp.

"Pacho Alonso Y Sus Pachucos" 
1971

The same 1971 LP, but a pressing from Chile, with an excellent photo of the band, with El Chino Pichón in front right kneeling down, wearing "The Eyeglasses".
Also in this photo, is a Tumbadora that had "two additional heads built into the sides" of the drum:
.

Another photo of "the drum".

"Ritmo a lo Pacho"
1976
El Chino Pichón on timbales

1. Que Tiene Tana
Ritmo Upa Upa
Enrique Bonne: comp.

4. Ven Ae Ae
Onda Areito Funketeo
Comp. German Pifferer & Senen Suarez

6. A Santiago
Son-Onda Areito Funketeo
Comp. Juan Almeida.

7. El Upa Upa Del Chambelon
Ritmo Upa Upa
Comp. Pacho Alonso

12. Cubano Cubano Cubano
Ritmo Upa Upa


"Upa Upa"
1977
Pacho Alonso Y Sus Pachucos

Pacho LP with Ritmo "Upa Upa".

1. El Upa Upa Tiene Mendo
Ritmo Upa Upa

5. Que Cosa Es Mendo
Ritmo Upa Upa

6. Dame Upa Upa
Ritmo Upa Upa

8. No Me Critiques
Ritmo Upa Upa

10. No Muere Nuestro Son
70's Cubania Contemporanea


Pacho Alonso
1979
His son 'Pachito' director and keyboards.

3. La Chica Nica
Ritmo Pilón

6. En Casa De Pedro El Cojo
Ritmo Pilón


12 Éxitos Románticos
Pacho Alonso backed by 'Orq. Egrem'
an "excellent" compilation of 
Bolero ritmicos and ballads '70-'79

"Pacho Alonso" 
1980

The LP says this is "Orq. Egrem" accompanying him, but that's incorrect, it's Pacho Alonso's band with his son, "Pachito" playing keyboards & arranging. Vinyl LP, 3 of the 4 tracks are a medleys of songs. (*LP incorrectly left out the titles of track #2)

1. El Guayabero Pt.1
+ Yo No Se Como Baila Usted
+ "Que Roña Me Da" 10:43
 
2. Yo No Quiero Piedra En Mi Camino
+ Se Tambalea 4:56


3. El Guayabero Pt.2
+ El Batachón 11:42

3. El Manisero


Pacho y Pachito Con El Mendo De Cuba"
1980

This was Pacho Alonso's last LP before he died in 1982.
His son 'Pachito' Alonso' on keyboards
with Calixto Oviedo drums and timbales.

"Orquesta Pacho Alonso" 
1984
Came out two years after Pacho died, led by his son Pachito.

Rolo Martinez and another uncredited singer on vocals. 
'Pachito' Alonso: director, arranger, keyboards.

5. El Cuarto De Petrona
 
7. Xiomara Quiere Un Retrato
 
 
A nice retrospective of 'Pacho Alonso' music. 
Enrique Bonne' on Timbales
Collection released 1991 on Artex CD.

A nice retrospective of Pacho Alonso music.
 Collection released 1995 on Egrem CD.
But they listed several ritmos incorrectly

Below are several Videos of 'Pacho Alonso' with his '60's "Bocucos" & '70's "Pachucos"
with El Chino Pichón playing Timbales along with 'Ibrahim Ferrer' singing coro & playing Guiro. 'Las D'Aia' singing coro.
One of the first two Pilóns to be released on record by 'Pacho Alonso' was "José Ramon", the other was "El Bajo Cun Cun Cun".
In the first video you can see the musician making believe he's grinding coffee in a giant "Pilón" which is where the dance got its name from.
A "Pilón" is a 'mortar' and 'pestle' used to crush, grind, and mash ingredients, herbs and seasonings. They can be made of ceramic, metal, or traditionally wood.

"José Ramon" - 1964
'Pacho Alonso y Sus Bocucos
Ritmo Pilón
'Enrique Bonne' on Timbales and kickdrum. 
Coro: Ibrahim Ferrer, Carlos Querol and Pedro Pon.

"Maria Cristina" - 1965
'Pacho Alonso y Sus Bocucos
Comp. ''Enrique Bonne' - Ritmo Pilón.
'Enrique Bonne' on Timbales and kickdrum.

'A Palo'

Pacho Alonso y Los Bocucos
Ibrahim Ferrer voc.

 Carlos Querol, Pedro Pon electric guitar and coro.
Enrique Bonne: timbal.

Ritmo Pilón.

"Que Rico Esta Eso" - 1965
'Pacho Alonso' y Sus Bocucos
Comp. ''Enrique Bonne '- Ritmo Pilón
El Chino Pichón on Timbales and kickdrum.
'Las D'Aia' singing coro, 'Ibrahim Ferrer' coro and Güiro

"Que Rico Pilón" - 1965
Pacho Alonso y Sus Pachucos
El Chino Pichón on Timbales.
Ibrahim Ferrer, Carlos Querol,
Pedro Pon and 'Las D'Aia.



"Lo Mismo Al Drecho Que Al Reves" - 1970
'Pacho Alonso' y Sus Pachucos
El Chino Pichón on Timbales.
(**Pacho comes out dancing Pilón)

"Juana y Pilón"
Art work by 'Arturo Cisneros'