'Noraida' - (widow) Wife of 'Beny Moré (La viuda de Beny Moré)

Noraida and Beny Moré
in a car right after their wedding.
Cuba.

Noraida and her two sons, "Los Moré".
Noraida studio photo.
Noraida on 'Replica' magazine cover.
Her two sons in background.
Noraida on TV show

'Noraida Hernandez' married Beny Moré in Cuba, but by the time she left Cuba and arrived in the United States, she had become his widow.
(La Viuda de Beny Moré) Beny Moré died in 1963.

'Noraida' recorded 4 LP's that I know of, four of them with Tito Puente and his Orq.

Her two sons, "Los Moré" played a part in her act, but I have no idea what they did, maybe dance or sing coro?
'Noraida' never created the kind of "public sensation" or excitement that her record companies; "Tico" & "Coco" had hoped for (as did 'La Lupe'), so she never became so called "well known".
Definitely a proficient singer, she just didn't have that "certain something" (bankability $) that 'Tico' & 'Coco' records needed.

Absolutely the best thing about these recording sessions is 'Tito Puentes' band, the band is a monster, totally kicks ass and allows her to shine.Her first LP has been reissued on CD and also "Noraida y Los Moré - La Barbara" has been reissued on CD, you can still find them on the internet, but the other two are long out of print and now very obscure.

"Tito Puente Presenta Noraida; La bárbara del mundo latino".
Her first LP 1971 - Tico

(arreglistas: T.Puente, C.Palmieri, P. Jimenez)

1. Se Paso Noraida
2. Moyuba
3. Besos Brujos
4. Estoy Haciendo Camino
5. A Santo Domingo
6. Me Siento Muy Sola
7. Yo Si Bailo Cumbia
8. Me Lo Dijo Paco
9. Mi Son Maracaibo
10. Venezuela Estoy Aqui

2. Moyuba


"Me voy a desquitar" - Noraida 
With Tito Puente & Orq.
Her second LP 1971 - Tico

3. Soy De Las Lajas

5. Mosaico De Congas

6. De Mis Recuerdos
(Comp. 'Juan Formell')

10. Chola Wengue
(misspelled on LP as: 'Anguerenque')


"Outro discubrimento de Tito Puente - Noraida"
 Tico vinyl LP

1. A Gozar Con Noraida
2. Tu, Tranquillo
3. A La Luna No Voy Yo
4. Juega Palomita
5. Bomba
6. Santa Isabel
7. Un Solo Golpe Na' Ma
8. Portate Bien Pamameño
9. Jaleo
10. Bolero

1. A Gozar Con Noraida

2. Tu, Tranquillo
 
3. A La Luna No Voy Yo
(*great bass player*)

6. Santa Isabel
 
  7. Un Solo Golpe Na' Ma


"Noraida y Los Moré - La Barbara" 
Vinyl LP on Coco

1. La Luz
2. Mi Negro
3. Somos Diferentes
4. Tu si me quieres
5. La Barbara
6. Voy Pa'Caracas
7. Sobre tu tumba una rumba
8. Feliz Viaje
9. Canto a Colombia
10. Los hombres no lloran

7. Sobre tu tumba una rumba

Leo Castañeda 2 LP's 1959, 1963 Cuba

"Leo y su Ritmo A Caballo"
1963
Vinyl LP/LD Discuba label.

1. Con mi caballo
2. Como un carnaval
3. preparen candela
4. La sitiera
5. Gloria a beny Moré
6. Leo esta loco
7. Leo llego
8. Cariño falso
9. Me llaman loco
10. Cintra tu traicion

5. Gloria a Beny Moré
Beny Moré died Feb. 19, 1963
(you can hear the galloping "A Caballo" rhythm)

8. Cariño falso
 (you can hear the galloping "A Caballo" rhythm)

 9. Me Llaman loco
(Ritmo "A Caballo")

Leo Castañeda, Cuban singer who led a swinging big band, his intonation and vocal style influenced by Beny Moré. 
He was also an amazing bolerista (bolero singer).

Far from just an "imitator" o sea "Beny clone", Leo Castañeda had his own distinct and VERY unique voice!

Recorded in 1963, his "Leo y su Ritmo A Caballo" LP on Discuba, with several of the tunes on the LP using his "A Caballo" rhythm. The cover photo has to be the wildest Cuban cover I've seen, with Leo in Cuba standing outside en "el campo", holding a attache case in one hand, while holding the reins of the Caballo, with a Güiro in the other hand and pair of congas are slung over the horse.
The bass drum in the photo has a very odd conical shape.

Juanito Marquez developed his ritmo "Pa'ca", Enrique Bonne developed his ritmo "Upa Upa", Perez Prado had his "Dengue", Aragon had their "Cha-Onda"... Leo Castañeda had his "Ritmo A Caballo".
The "A Caballo" sound was done by a musician playing the old chinese temple blocks playing a rhythm that sounds like a horse galloping, really unique to say the least, you can even hear it in the boleros.
Leo's "Ritmo A Caballo" LP is long out of print, never reissued. Obscure and rare.I have meticulously "cleaned" and trimmed" each track " using Goldwave V.5, the 10 tracks now have an excellent sound .

"Mucho Corazon"
1959

Leo Castañeda's LP "Mucho Corazon" very different than the other LP (no "Ritmo A Caballo" theme) it was recorded in Cuba in 1959 and reissued on CD, however they recorded it directly from the vinyl LP with audible pops and clicks and at a low audio level.
I have meticulously "cleaned" and trimmed" each track and brought the audio up using Goldwave V.5 and now the 12 tracks sound excellent. Both his singing and the band swing.
The more I listen to these two recordings.... the more I'm amazed at what a great voice Leo Castañeda has!

10. La Majana

2. Son De La Loma

**As a result of this post, I recently had a great conversation with Leo Castañeda's daughter, 'Elsie' who has told me that Leo also spent time in Mexico and Venezuela, now in his 80's he is doing very well and lives in Miami Florida and that as well as singing... Leo plays Congas, guitar and drums!

Leo Castañeda in a 2008 photo in Miami, Florida.

Graciously sent to me by his daughter Elsie.

Leo... you are one cool musician!

Mucho corazon de verdad!!!

"Tesoros Orientales" (reissued Mario Patterson) 3 CD box

"Tesoros Orientales"
With Chepin, Mario Patterson & Beny Moré

A nicely boxed set of three CD's released in 2004 on the 'Suave' label.
I bought this from a company based in Canada.
(very reasonably priced at $7.99 including shipping to the U.S.)

What makes this box set very nice is that Emmanuel Katty who put these together, remastered and reissued two LP's by Mario Patterson and his Orq. with Ibrahim Ferrer singing on five tracks (CD 2) that before this, had only been available if you owned the LP's.
Originally from Mario Patterson's Egrem 1960 and 1961 LP's.

Also included are two LP's by Orq. Chepin , remastered, with Ibrahim Ferrer singing on four tracks (CD 1).
Originally from two Egrem LP's.

And on CD 3, a collection of Beny Moré which can commonly still be found.
(though someone made a mistake... track # 18 "is not Beny Moré", it's Tito Puente's Orq.)

The design of the 14 page booklet included inside this three CD box set is very nice, in both English and French and was done by Ludovic Jaffrenou & Ludovic Peltier, who also included several nice photographs.

Both Orchestras of Electo "Chepin" Rosell and Mario Patterson were from Santiago, De Cuba and have a very swinging and typically "Eastern" sound, as did Mariano Merceron's Orq.

CD-1
(on this Chepin CD, several dates/years are incorrect)

CD-2

CD-3
As often happens... track # 18 "is not Beny Moré",
it's Tito Puente's Orq. recorded in New York City in the 1950's

Beny Moré 10' inch RCA Victor LP / & live radio interview en Puerto Rico

Beny Moré

With Peréz Prados band a 10' inch LP on RCA Victor.

The cover is beautiful! The front cover surface is "tactile", meaning that if you touch the edges of the Palm tree, the Bongoes, the Conga, the Maracas, the Clavé... you can "feel the raised edges" of all of them. Almost kind of "3-D".
And a nice photo of a very young Beny on the back.
Benys voice... SUPERB!'
Prados piano playing and solos..... border on being really "out' there. SWINGING!
(I always think of Prado when he takes a solo as the Cuban 'Thelonious Monk')

These tunes are no longer obscure or rare as they all have been "re-mastered" and "re-issued" on dozens of labels out of Europe, the U.K., Canada, Japan and the U.S.
However..... these are the original tunes "on vinyl", no "re-mastering".

I have not "cleaned" them with 'Goldwave V.5' purposely to leave the sound that you can only get and hear on vinyl. Amazingly, the vinyl was in excellent condition. I have "trimmed" the beginnings and ends so they start cleanly.

 Beny Moré 'radio Util' interview

live/vivo in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.

Beny Moré - "Dolor y Perdon" Live-en vivo - 1962 Cuba

Beny Moré
Live radio broadcast:

Beny Moré - "Dolor y Perdon" 1962 Cuba.

Dolor y Perdon
(Cuba Si, Yankee No!) 

Beny Moré - Happy 89th Birthday!

16 años de edad

Bartolomé Maximiliano Moré Gutiérrez24 August 1919 – 19 February 1963
Happy 89th Birthday!
August 2010


Fiesta De Tambores
Clemente "Chicho" Piquero: bongoes

Repica Bongó
(Clemente "Chicho" Piquero: bongoes)

Dolor y Perdon
(Cuba Si, Yankee No!)

(Beny Moré Live radio broadcasts - Peru)

Bobby Carcasses - "Recordando a Beny Moré" LP 1980's - Cuba

"Recordando a Beny More"

Bobby Carcasses
Originally from a vinyl LP

A tribute to 'Beny Moré' by vocalist, trumpet, flugelhorn, piano composer & painter, Bobby Carcasses. Recorded in the 1980's in Cuba, with guest soloist, Arturo Sandoval on trumpet before Arturo defected to the U.S. in 1990.
Nice project. Obscure.

This is from a vinyl LP transferred to CD in Miami which is commonly done there and sold in small music stores. They take the "Egrem" logo, put it on the CD cover so it looks "official".
There are a lot of great things preserved and "re-made" onto CD down in Miami, but you have to go into the stores and look for them, you will never see them available online.

4. De La Rumba Al Cha Cha Chá

5. Que Bueno Baila Usted

9. Dolor Carabali

10. Maracaibo Oriental

**********

Como pompas de jabon
Orq. Enrique Jorrin - 1986
Bobby Carcasses: voc; trp; flgh & comp.

**********

Bobby Carcasses y su Grupo Afro Jazz
live-en vivo at La Zorra y El Cuervo in La Habana, 2000.

Bobby Carcasses vocal, Eladio "Pancho" Terry Chékere solo & vocal.

Green Dolphin Street
 Vivo-live
 

Bobby Carcasses is also an artist, this is an ink drawing by him titled "Cosmobajófono" which is interestingly similar to the artwork on the LP cover of Grupo Yoyi.

"Cosmobajófono"
Artwork by Bobby Carcasses

The LP cover of Grupo Yoyi below
with a similar looking "space musician".

 

Beny Moré Live radiop broadcasts - Peru

Live radiop broadcasts:
Beny Moré and his 'Banda Gigante'.
(live radio Peru) late 1950's
Three tunes.
1. 6:45

2. 4:34
3. 4:45

((Aqui))

Photo: Beny Moré & Felix Chappottín

Beny Moré & Felix Chappottín

Tumbadoras made by Gonzalo Vergara - Cuba

Tumbadoras (Congas) made during the 1950's and 1960's by the Cuban master drum maker Gonzalo Vergara are the "gold standard" which the two best American drum makers; the late 'Nataly "Junior" Tirado Ruiz' and 'Jay Bereck' of "Skin On Skin" based their drums on in both style and shape.

(The major difference between "Skin On Skin" and "Junior" Tirado's drums is that Jay Bereck "steams" the wood into shape, and Nataly "Junior" Tirado Ruiz used horizontal "cuts" to bend the wood into shape, which is what Gonzalo Vergara did.
The third American drum maker currently making drums with "root retention" going back to Gonzalo Vergara is Matthew Smith of "Ritmo".
(though his drums are more an "excellent hybrid" of both "Skin On Skin" and "Juniors")

Two Drummers playing three tunable tumbadoras made by
 Gonzalo Vergara. Photo in the Panart recording studios
in Havana with José Fajardo on flute,1950's.

"Jabuco" de Conjunto Roberto Faz,
playing a 10½ inch Vergara.

Fajardos drummer playing a 10½ inch Vergara.
 Oscar Valdés Sr. playing a 10½ inch Vergara.
(Father of Oscar Valdés Jr. ex Irakere singer)

Rogelio "Yeyito" Iglesias
Posing with a 10½ inch Vergara 1950's.

The late Luis Abreu
with a 10½ inch Vergara 1963.

A young Beny Moré playing
a 10½ inch Vergara Mid 1950's.

Beny Moré with two Vergara's in the car.
The original RCA LP cover 1960-'61.

A Vergara on a Celina y Rutillio LP cover.

A 10½ inch Vergara on the cover of Sensacion's LP.

Enrique Lazaga from 'Ritmo Oriental'
posing with a Vergara 1959 or '60.

Juan Claro Bravo from 'Ritmo Oriental' playing 
a Vergara (and wearing "The Eyeglasses")
 Ramon 'Mongo' Santamaria playing 
his Vergara's 1950's with Tito Puente's band.

Ramon 'Mongo' Santamaria playing 
his Vergara's with his band 70's.
 

Ramon 'Mongo' Santamaria in his house,

his two Vergara's behind him on the right.

Ramon 'Mongo' Santamaria with Tjaders quintet

'59-'60 with his two Vergara's.

 

Mongo with his two Vergara's
  Mongo with his two Vergara's, the red
one he had covered in fiberglass in the U.S.

Cuban drummer Marcelino Valdés
playing two Vergara's, early 60's.

Ernesto Tito Puente,
posing with a 10½ inch Vergara.

Ray Baretto

With his two "old beat up" drums made by Gonzalo Vergara.
They were given to him by Mongo Santamaria.
(Info via 'Dario' "El Rey de las tumbadoras Cubanas" en Miami)

Ray Baretto
(con "Los Espejuelos" de verdad)

An Oak wood Vergara, restored by
master drum maker, Matthew Smith. 

Photo: Matthew Smith, Ritmo Drums.