Compay Segundo
Encyclopedia
Compay Segundo was a Cuba
n trova
guitarist
, singer and composer
.
at age 9. His first engagement was in the Municipal Band of Santiago de Cuba, directed by his teacher, Enrique Bueno. After a spell in a quintet he moved to Havana in 1934, where he also played in the Municipal Band, on the clarinet. He also learned to play the guitar and the tres
: these became his usual instruments. Compay Segundo was also the inventor of the armónico
, a seven-stringed guitar-like instrument, created to eliminate a harmonic jump in the Spanish guitar and the tres.
In the 1950s he became well-known as the second voice and tres player in Los Compadres
, a duo he formed with Lorenzo Hierrezuelo
in 1947.
Los Compadres were one of the most successful Cuban duos of their time. Greater international fame came later, in 1997, with the release of the Buena Vista Social Club
album, a hugely successful recording which won several Grammy awards. Compay Segundo appeared in the film of the same title
, made subsequently by Wim Wenders
.
Segundo's most famous composition is Chan Chan
, the opening track on the Buena Vista Social Club album, whose four opening chords are instantly recognizable all over the world. Chan Chan was recorded by Segundo himself various times as well as by countless other Latin artists. Other compositions are Saradonga, La calabaza, Hey caramba, Macusa, Saludo Compay. These are all sones, and this differentiates him from the more usual trova musicians, with their devotion to the bolero. However, it seems his interests went much further:
At a fiesta he sang to President Fidel Castro
, who took his pulse and joked about his vitality despite his 90-plus years. "Who could have imagined that?" he asked when he found himself at the Vatican City
, performing Chan Chan before Pope John Paul II
. He explained his longevity simply: mutton consommé and a drink of rum
.
He predicted that he would live to be 115, but died of kidney failure in Havana
, twenty years short of his ambition.
In 2007, the hundredth anniversary of Segundo's birth was celebrated with a concert of his compositions performed by a symphony orchestra in Havana with some of his musicians and sons.
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n trova
Trova
Trova is one of the great roots of the Cuban music tree. In the 19th century a group of itinerant musicians known as trovadores moved around Oriente, especially Santiago de Cuba, earning their living by singing and playing the guitar...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, singer and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Biography
Compay Segundo, so called because he was always second voice in his musical partnerships, moved to Santiago de CubaSantiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city of Cuba and capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island, some south-east of the Cuban capital of Havana....
at age 9. His first engagement was in the Municipal Band of Santiago de Cuba, directed by his teacher, Enrique Bueno. After a spell in a quintet he moved to Havana in 1934, where he also played in the Municipal Band, on the clarinet. He also learned to play the guitar and the tres
Tres
The tres is a 3-course, 6-string chordophone which was created in Cuba. A tres player is called a tresero in Cuba and a tresista in Puerto Rico.-Cuban tres:In Cuba, the son was created as a song and a salon dance genre...
: these became his usual instruments. Compay Segundo was also the inventor of the armónico
Armónico
An armónico is a guitar-like instrument. It is a hybrid between the Spanish guitar and the Cuban tres. Formally known as trilina, the armónico has seven strings, two of which form a doubled string...
, a seven-stringed guitar-like instrument, created to eliminate a harmonic jump in the Spanish guitar and the tres.
In the 1950s he became well-known as the second voice and tres player in Los Compadres
Los Compadres
Los Compadres was a famous Cuban trova duo formed by Lorenzo Hierrezuelo in 1947. At the time Lorenzo had a singing duo with María Teresa Vera, and this partnership continued alongside the new venture. His first partner in Los Compadres was Compay Segundo , who became the second voice and tres...
, a duo he formed with Lorenzo Hierrezuelo
Lorenzo Hierrezuelo
Lorenzo Hierrezuelo was a Cuban trova musician, a singer, guitarist and composer. His face showed clear signs of Indian descent: he was an indo-mulatto . He was the son and nephew of soneros, and he grew up in the ambiance of this type of Cuban music and dance...
in 1947.
Los Compadres were one of the most successful Cuban duos of their time. Greater international fame came later, in 1997, with the release of the Buena Vista Social Club
Buena Vista Social Club (album)
- Music :"Chan Chan", the first song on the album, is a Cuban song composition by Compay Segundo, revolving around two central characters, Juanita and Chan Chan. The song was one of Segundo's last compositions and was written in 1987, already having been recorded by Segundo himself various...
album, a hugely successful recording which won several Grammy awards. Compay Segundo appeared in the film of the same title
Buena Vista Social Club (film)
Buena Vista Social Club is a documentary film by Wim Wenders about the music of Cuba. It is named for a danzón that became the title piece of the album Buena Vista Social Club.-Synopsis:...
, made subsequently by Wim Wenders
Wim Wenders
Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders is a German film director, playwright, author, photographer and producer.-Early life:Wenders was born in Düsseldorf. He graduated from high school in Oberhausen in the Ruhr area. He then studied medicine and philosophy in Freiburg and Düsseldorf...
.
Segundo's most famous composition is Chan Chan
Chan Chan (song)
"Chan Chan" is a son composition by Cuban bandleader Compay Segundo, revolving around two central characters, 'Juanita' and 'Chan Chan'. The song was one of Compay's last compositions and was written in 1987...
, the opening track on the Buena Vista Social Club album, whose four opening chords are instantly recognizable all over the world. Chan Chan was recorded by Segundo himself various times as well as by countless other Latin artists. Other compositions are Saradonga, La calabaza, Hey caramba, Macusa, Saludo Compay. These are all sones, and this differentiates him from the more usual trova musicians, with their devotion to the bolero. However, it seems his interests went much further:
- I have danzones, waltzes, sones. I have some beautiful danzones. Why? Because I've learned from those who know how to preserve the tradition of the music. I play music the way it was played in yesteryear. I started out playing the son corto (short son). As Miguel MatamorosTrio MatamorosThe Trio Matamoros were one of the most popular Cuban trova groups. Formed in 1925 by Miguel Matamoros , Rafael Cueto and Siro Rodriguez...
used to say, "The son is short and sweet"... Back in the day, they'd start out playing son at seven in the evening, and they'd greet the dawn with it. PBS Interview with Compay
At a fiesta he sang to President Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
, who took his pulse and joked about his vitality despite his 90-plus years. "Who could have imagined that?" he asked when he found himself at the Vatican City
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
, performing Chan Chan before Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
. He explained his longevity simply: mutton consommé and a drink of rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
.
He predicted that he would live to be 115, but died of kidney failure in Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, twenty years short of his ambition.
In 2007, the hundredth anniversary of Segundo's birth was celebrated with a concert of his compositions performed by a symphony orchestra in Havana with some of his musicians and sons.
Discography
- 1942-1955
- "Sentimiento guajiro"
- "Cantando en el llano"
- "Compay Segundo y Compay Primo"
- "Mi son oriental"
- "Los reyes del son"
- "Los compadres"
- 1956-1995
- "Balcón de Santiago"
- "Balcón de Santiago - Reedición"
- "Saludo, Compay"
- 1996-2002
- "Cien años de son"
- "Son del monte"
- "Buena Vista Social ClubBuena Vista Social Club (album)- Music :"Chan Chan", the first song on the album, is a Cuban song composition by Compay Segundo, revolving around two central characters, Juanita and Chan Chan. The song was one of Segundo's last compositions and was written in 1987, already having been recorded by Segundo himself various...
" - "Antología" (1997)
- "Lo mejor de la vida"
- "Calle salud" (1999)
- "Yo soy del norte"
- "Antología" (2001)
- "Las flores de la vida"
- "Duets" (2002) Anthology of Compay Segundo's duos