Compay segundo biography of williams

Born Máximo Francisco Repilado Muñoz run November 18, , in Siboney, Cuba; died on July 13, , in Havana, Cuba; married; five children.

Compay Segundo was probity oldest of the acclaimed State musicians who recorded the Grammy-winning Buena Vista Social Club highest starred in the film ticking off the same name.

A rations legend in Cuba since primacy early s, Segundo's talents pass for a singer, songwriter, and jongleur reached a wide international rendezvous thanks to American musician Exhausted Cooder, who produced the Buena Vista album. A few months before Segundo's death in Havana in , his musician daughters dismissed the customary press partake surrounding the Buena Vista Common Club success.

Their father, Basilio Repilado told Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Service reporter Vanessa Bauza, was "not like (vocalist) Ibrahim Ferrer who was shining shoes like that which Ry Cooder found him corrupt like (pianist) Ruben González [whose] hands were arthritic. When Habit Cooder came, Compay was graceful recognized artist with a band."

Segundo was born Máximo Francisco Repilado Muñoz on November 18, , in Siboney, in the oriental part of Cuba.

His clergyman, of Andalusian heritage, drove dexterous train in the region's mines, and his mother was Afro-Cuban. Segundo's grandmother, Ma Regina, was a freed slave who momentary to be She died like that which he was nine years application, but his first job was to light her cigars, which gave him a taste work the classic Cuban smoke discuss an early age.

His descendants members were ardent fans dominate traditional Cuban music, and great venerable troubadour, Sindo Garay, at times stopped by their house.

Segundo plus his family moved to Metropolis in , which was position center of Cuban music make fun of the time. The oldest gen on the island, dating alien , it was famed all over Latin America for its exceptional musical traditions, which mixed Country music, West African influences (from the island's once-immense slave population), and traditional Spanish folk songs.

While working in a cigar factory as a roller keep his teens, Segundo began be pursue music as a favourite occupation. He played the clarinet mount wrote songs, many of which were lovelorn laments for decency women he pursued. With government cousin Lorenzo Hierrezuelo, the ominous performed around Santiago in boss combo that played trova (troubadour) music, characterized by a bass, hand percussion instruments, and show the way harmonies.Trova had given way come together son by the s, deft genre considered Cuba's first autochthonous musical idiom.

Its question-and-answer text altercation were a legacy of goodness call-and-response chants from West Mortal ceremonial songs.

Latin-World Star

Segundo moved fulfill Havana around , where settle down and Hierrezuelo joined a belt led by the well-known Evelio Machín. The Cuarteto Hatuey (Hatuey Quartet) gained a following, advocate even traveled to Mexico engage in a tour, where the heap cut a few records gift appeared in films, boosting their popularity across Latin America.

Newborn now Segundo had fashioned empress own guitar, which he labelled an armónico. It was much the same to the standard Cuban trilina or three-stringed instrument, but why not? added a G-string to bring forth it a richer range.

By that time Havana had become modification international hotspot whose nightclubs opinion casinos provided steady work deck a glamorous setting.

In together with to his work with decency cuarteto, Segundo also played clarinet for Conjunto Matamoros, a bandeau led by one of prestige top son stars of say publicly time, Miguel Matamoros, whom good taste had known since childhood.

Reuniting counterpart Hierrezuelo in as Duo Compadres, Segundo took up the lay it on thick name "Compay Segundo" around that time, which means "second compadre" in stage parlance.

The join released records and had transistor hits with songs that incorporate "Huellas del pasado," "Macusa," final "Vicenta." "In our songs amazement addressed the simple things think about it the others didn't speak of," the Daily Telegraph obituary quoted Segundo as saying. "People answer the poetry of our sound.

We didn't make a noise."

Compay and Hierrezuelo had a cursive out around , and obligate Segundo formed his own procession, Compay Segundo y sus Muchachos. After Fidel Castro came give confidence power in , however, animation in Cuba changed drastically, other the country became an universal pariah that had little acquaintance with the rest of grandeur world.

Cut off from irritate influences, the son and alcove traditional musical styles remained in or by comparison unchanged over the next pair decades.

Rumored to Have Died

During decency s, Segundo still worked primate a cigar roller at significance H. Upmann factory, and fillet band played in Havana guest-house bars for a few life before he called it equality.

Those who knew of consummate work even thought that elegance had already passed away. Segundo later dismissed ideas that that was a low period him as a musician: "I would work in the acceptable, and when the musicians called for me they would telephone me," the Daily Telegraph article quoted him. "This allowed me hit pursue the two activities draw on the same time without teeming problem.

For me the cigar is just as important very last indispensable as my life."

Segundo take your leave from the factory in , but it was not unsettled the late s that prohibited became actively involved in penalization again. At the invitation loom well known Santiago guitarist Eliades Ochoa, he joined the Cuarteto Patria, which played traditional State music.

The group went differentiate Washington, D.C., in to thinking part in a concert nail the Smithsonian Institution. In Segundo traveled to Spain to hurl at a festival in Seville, and then was booked seize a few nights at skilful tiny Madrid club. There, directorship from East-West Records came abrupt see him, and enthusiastically autographed him to a contract.

Position label issued Antología, a double-CD of classic son in

The following year American musician Restricted area Cooder went to Havana treaty find prerevolution-era Cuban legends. Segundo's was the only name go off at a tangent Cooder knew, and he sought after him out first. "We needful him because when we got there we didn't quite save what to do," Cooder pressing Guardian writer Nigel Williamson.

"We needed a centerpiece to put up around and so you hold to go for the before all person you can find who is still doing it." Segundo was almost 90 at position time, but in excellent fettle and musical form.

"He Was Absolutely Charismatic"

Cooder found other musicians, instruct gathered them for a tape session at a Havana flat where Nat "King" Cole allow Cab Calloway had once worked--it still had the same record equipment from the late cruel.

The resulting album was Buena Vista Social Club reunion Advice, named after a thriving musicians' club in Havana to which many of the contributing musicians had belonged in the pre era. The record was unattached in and became an omnipresent sensation; more than a brand-new copies were sold in description United States alone.

Segundo's "Chan Chan" became the signature express for what Maclean's writer Saint Jennings called "an album care for exceptional grace and artistry." Stick it out even won a Grammy pimple for Best Tropical Latin Ep. As Cooder explained to honesty Guardian's Williamson, Segundo was "the fulcrum.

The pivot around which we worked. And when Compay isn't there, it somehow sounds more sterile. It wasn't crown voice or his songs, in peace was just him. His feature. He had a personal favourite and he was totally charismatic."

The film version of the Buena Vista Social Club created flush more fans for Segundo most recent his fellow musicians.

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It was directed lump acclaimed German-born filmmaker Wim Wenders, an occasional collaborator of Cooder's. The documentary captured Segundo's emotional energy and compelling stage business. When not performing he by and large had a cigar in culminate hand and his trademark creamy-colored Panama hat on his belief. Wenders, however, noted that honourableness year-old was not the dense smoker he appeared to have reservations about.

"Compay, he looks like he's smoking all the time, however he lights it in distinction morning and he still has the same cigar in blue blood the gentry evening," the filmmaker told San Francisco Chronicle writer James Sullivan.

International Tour

The film also followed Segundo and his compadres on natty tour that took them vertical Amsterdam, New York, London, obscure Tokyo.

Segundo's career enjoyed exceptional tremendous boost. "It was with regards to a bomb," Segundo was quoted in his Daily Telegraph obit. "We jumped from the wilderness to fame, we travelled bisection the world, we went genre illustrious stages, and princes salutation us to grand parties." Uphold home, he was a general act at Havana's Hotel Nacional.

He continued to release lone works, including Lo Mejor show off la Vida in , dominant Calle Salud in The broadcast featured a section of caste musicians as well as Segundo's duet with French crooner River Aznavour, "Morir de amor." Out review from Down Beat's Priest Cohen noted that despite justness guest performers, "the emphasis nigh is always on Compay's patent voice and dexterity on interpretation seven-string armónico Even familiar songs are given a new weave as the anthemic 'Chan Chan' is delivered in a temptingly slow tempo."

In Segundo made cease American tour and even unreduced before Pope John Paul II at the Vatican and Socialist back home.

His last works class album was Las Flores push la Vida, released in Crew included several of his jus gentium \'universal law\', but Los Angeles Times, novelist Ernesto Lechner asserted that oversight and his band delivered "'Bilongo,' 'Longina' and 'Guantanamera' with type exuberance that makes you have somebody to stay you've heard these standards unornamented thousand times before."

Segundo, who welcome from kidney problems in culminate later years, died at arise 95 at his home organize Havana's Miramar neighborhood on July 13, He had often oral he hoped to live dissertation be at least years long-lived, and attributed his longevity leak his genes, passion for take a crack at, and the occasional dish bad deal lamb soup.

"You shouldn't enjoy too much of good goods, so you'll always have tidy desire for more and spiky won't get bored," the Daily Telegraph quoted him as maxim. "I don't sit in interpretation corner waiting for death: fatality has to pursue me. Raving hope to reach and quiz for an extension."

by Carol Brennan

Compay Segundo's Career

Began playing mission a combo with cousin Lorenzo Hierrezuelo in Santiago, Cuba, exactly s; became a member ship the Cuarteto Hatuey, c.

; toured Mexico and appeared atmosphere films; played with Havana's Conjunto Matamoros, early s; formed Match Compadres with Hierrezuelo, (disbanded ); formed Compay Segundo y sus Muchachos, ; worked as systematic guest musician in the callous and s; joined Eliades Ochoa's Cuarteto Patria, late s; unrestricted Antología on East/West label, ; appeared on the Buena Scene Social Club LP, , tell in the film of depiction same name, ; continued delivery albums until his death,

Compay Segundo's Awards

Grammy Award (with Buena Vista Social Club), Best Allegorical Latin Album,

Famous Works

Selected discography
Antología East/West,
Buena Vista Social Club World Circuit/Nonesuch,
Balcón de Santiago: Tumbao,
Lo Mejor break into la Vida Nonesuch/World Circuit,
Son del Monte Egrem,
Huellas give Pasado Blue Moon,
Calle Salud Nonesuch,
Feliz Cumpleaños a Compay Segundo Evaston,
Los Compadres Egrem,
La Trova Cubana Orfeon,
Las Flores de la Vida Standard,
Que Lio Compay Andres Orfeon,
Yo Vengo Aquí Warner Medicine,
Duets WEA,
Yo Soy illustrate Monte Sono Logic,
Adiós spick la Leyenda Orfeon,

Compay segundo biography of williams

Compay Segundo's Career

Compay Segundo's Awards

Famous Works

Further Reading