Compay segundo biography of rory
Compay Segundo continued to tour and record well into his 90s, maintaining a tireless dedication to his craft. His later years were marked by collaborations with a new generation of musicians who sought to learn from and pay homage to the maestro. Despite his advancing age, Compay remained a lively and beloved figure, embodying the timeless spirit of Cuban music.
On July 13,Compay Segundo passed away in Havana, leaving behind a musical legacy that continues to inspire and resonate. His funeral was a celebration of his life, with musicians, dignitaries, and fans coming together to bid a fond farewell to the man whose music had touched the hearts of millions. His journey from the vibrant streets of Santiago de Cuba to the international stages of the Buena Vista Social Club is a narrative of passion, resilience, and the profound impact of preserving cultural heritage.
Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Image source: Wikimedia Commons — Compay Segundo. Comparison Shopper. Comparative-Historical Sociology. Comparative Statics. CompDent Corporation. Compelled Speech. Compelling State Interest. Compensation and Benefits Analyst.
Compensation, Occult. Compensatory Damages. Compensatory Structures. Comperatore, Dominic Domenic Comperatore. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikidata item. Cuban trova guitarist, singer and composer. Segundo at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba with a standing ovation in Musical artist. Biography [ edit ].
Its question-and-answer lyrics were a legacy of the call-and-response chants from West African ceremonial songs. The Cuarteto Hatuey Hatuey Quartet gained a following, and even traveled to Mexico for a tour, where the group cut a few records and appeared in films, boosting their popularity across Latin America.
Compay segundo biography of rory
It was similar to the standard Cuban trilina or three-stringed instrument, but he added a G-string to give it a richer range. By this time Havana had become an international hotspot whose nightclubs and casinos provided steady work in a glamorous setting. In addition to his work with the cuarteto, Segundo also played clarinet for Conjunto Matamoros, a band led by one of the top son stars of the time, Miguel Matamoros, whom he had known since childhood.
Reuniting with Hierrezuelo in as Duo Compadres, Segundo took up the stage name "Compay Segundo" around this time, which means "second compadre" in stage parlance. The two released records and had radio hits with songs that include "Huellas del pasado," "Macusa," and "Vicenta. We didn't make a noise. Compay and Hierrezuelo had a falling out aroundand in Segundo formed his own band, Compay Segundo y sus Muchachos.
After Fidel Castro came to power inhowever, life in Cuba changed drastically, and the country became an international pariah that had little contact with the rest of the world. Cut off from other influences, the son and other traditional musical styles remained relatively unchanged over the next four decades. During the s, Segundo still worked as a cigar roller at the H.
Upmann factory, and his band played in Havana hotel bars for a few years before he called it quits. Those who knew of his work even thought that he had already passed away. Segundo later dismissed ideas that this was a low period for him as a musician: "I would work in the factory, and when the musicians needed me they would telephone me," the Daily Telegraph article quoted him.
For me the cigar is just as important and indispensable as my life. Segundo retired from the factory inbut it was not until the late s that he became actively involved in music again. At the invitation of well known Santiago guitarist Eliades Ochoa, he joined the Cuarteto Patria, which played traditional Cuban music. The group went to Washington, D.
In Segundo traveled to Spain to play at a festival in Seville, and then was booked for a few nights at a tiny Madrid club. There, executives from East-West Records came to see him, and enthusiastically signed him to a contract.