Eusebio Delfín
Encyclopedia
Eusebio Delfín Figueroa was a Cuban trovador
musician: a composer, guitarist and singer. He came from a middle-class family, and was trained as an accountant
in Cienfuegos
, where his family had moved. He also studied guitar and song, and sang in public for the first time in 1916 at the Terry Theatre in Cienfuegos.
Delfín became Director of the Banco Comercial, and married Amalia Bacardi y Cape, a daughter of Emilio Bacardí
, the rum magnate, author and an ex-mayor of Santiago de Cuba
.
Beginning in 1921, he recorded many Cuban songs, both solo and in duets with partners such as Rita Montaner
. The first 78rpm with Montaner was Pensamiento (by Rafael
Gómez, 'Teofilito'). In 1922 he organised, with Eduardo Sánchez de Fuentes
, concerts of typical Cuban music in Havana and Cienfuegos. A relatively wealthy man, Delfín donated much of his royalties to charity in Cienfuegos.
According to Guyún
, Delfin was responsible for changing the style used to accompany boleros. In the 1920s, bolero
s were often accompanied by guitar in rayado or rasgueado manner (~strumming); Delfin changed that to a semi-arpeggio
style (~picking). He also repeated the rhythm by time and a half, leaving the weak part of the second beat silent. His style became widely popular. His compositions include poetry put to music, such as La Guinda, from a poem by Pedro Mata, and he also wrote his own lyrics, such as Y tú qué has hecho? (aka En el trunco de un árbol.), Ansia and Qué boca la tuya
At the soirées of the rich he sang boleros, with the result that the wealthy young became enthusistic about the guitar.
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...
musician: a composer, guitarist and singer. He came from a middle-class family, and was trained as an accountant
Accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
in Cienfuegos
Cienfuegos
Cienfuegos is a city on the southern coast of Cuba, capital of Cienfuegos Province. It is located about from Havana, and has a population of 150,000. The city is dubbed La Perla del Sur...
, where his family had moved. He also studied guitar and song, and sang in public for the first time in 1916 at the Terry Theatre in Cienfuegos.
Delfín became Director of the Banco Comercial, and married Amalia Bacardi y Cape, a daughter of Emilio Bacardí
Bacardi
Bacardi is a family-controlled spirits company, best known as a producer of rums, including Bacardi Superior and Bacardi 151. The company sells in excess of 200 million bottles per year in nearly 100 countries...
, the rum magnate, author and an ex-mayor of Santiago de Cuba
Santiago 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....
.
Musical career
Delfín studied violin and flute, but soon switched to guitar and song. His guitar teacher was Fernando Barrios, and his singing coach was Vincente Sánchez Torralba.Beginning in 1921, he recorded many Cuban songs, both solo and in duets with partners such as Rita Montaner
Rita Montaner
Rita Montaner, born Rita Aurelia Fulcida Montaner y Facenda , was a Cuban singer, pianist, actress and star of stage, film, radio and television. In Cuban parlance, she was a vedette , and she was well known in Mexico City, Paris, Miami and New York, where she performed, filmed and recorded on...
. The first 78rpm with Montaner was Pensamiento (by Rafael
Gómez, 'Teofilito'). In 1922 he organised, with Eduardo Sánchez de Fuentes
Eduardo Sánchez de Fuentes
Eduardo Sánchez de Fuentes was a Cuban composer, and an author of books on the history of Cuban folk music.The outstanding habanera Tú, written when he was sixteen, was his best-known composition...
, concerts of typical Cuban music in Havana and Cienfuegos. A relatively wealthy man, Delfín donated much of his royalties to charity in Cienfuegos.
According to Guyún
Guyún
Guyún was an important guitarist, harmonist and teacher, who tapped into classical guitar techniques to revive the accompaniment of the trova...
, Delfin was responsible for changing the style used to accompany boleros. In the 1920s, bolero
Bolero
Bolero is a form of slow-tempo Latin music and its associated dance and song. There are Spanish and Cuban forms which are both significant and which have separate origins.The term is also used for some art music...
s were often accompanied by guitar in rayado or rasgueado manner (~strumming); Delfin changed that to a semi-arpeggio
Arpeggio
An arpeggio is a musical technique where notes in a chord are played or sung in sequence, one after the other, rather than ringing out simultaneously...
style (~picking). He also repeated the rhythm by time and a half, leaving the weak part of the second beat silent. His style became widely popular. His compositions include poetry put to music, such as La Guinda, from a poem by Pedro Mata, and he also wrote his own lyrics, such as Y tú qué has hecho? (aka En el trunco de un árbol.), Ansia and Qué boca la tuya
At the soirées of the rich he sang boleros, with the result that the wealthy young became enthusistic about the guitar.