Orquesta Aragón
Encyclopedia
Orquesta Aragón was formed on 30 September 1939, by Orestes Aragón Cantero in Cienfuegos, Cuba. The band originally had the name Ritmica 39, then Ritmica Aragón before settling on its final form. Though they did not create the Cha-cha-cha, they were arguably the best charanga
in Cuba during 1950s and 60s. Their trade-marks included high-class instrumentalists playing in tight ensemble style, and rhythmical innovations which kept their sound up to date. Over the years they progressed from their start as a danzoneria to play a wider variety of styles, danzón
, then cha-cha-cha, then onda-cha, pachanga
and son
fusions. They still perform today, based in Havana.
); Filiberto Depestre (first violin
); Hilario René González (second violin); Rufino Roque (piano); Efraín Loyola (flute
); Orestes Varona (timbales
); Noelio Morejon (güiro
); & Pablo Romay (vocals). With the illness of Aragón in 1948, Rafael Lay Apesteguía became leader, and the band entered its second phase.
In 1950 the orchestra made its first journey to Havana, and in 1953 Lay changed the personnel to suit his own ideas. It was around this time that the danzón began to fade, and the cha-cha-cha to gain popularity. Flautist
was now Rolando Lozano and, later, Richard Egües. Pepe Olmo began singing along with the director Rafael Lay. Pepe Palma was also to join the orquesta and be its Piano Player for decades onwards. The emergence of Richard Egües on the 5-key wooden flute was significant. Egües replaced Rolando Lozano at the beginning of 1954 when Lozano went to Mexico. In August 1955, Celso Valdés was added on violin and thus the first classic lineup of the Orquesta Aragon was in place. The line up at this time was Pepe Olmo and Rafael Lay (vocals), Lay, Filiberto Depestre and Celso Valdés (violins), Pepe Palma (piano), Jose Beltran (d. bass), Panchito Arbolaez (güiro), Orestes Varona (timbales) and Guido Sarria (conga). Both Lay and Egües were skilled arrangers and composers. Between 1955 and 1958 the Orquesta Aragon released four LPs for RCA, listed below. During this time the Orquesta Aragon recorded nearly one hundred numbers for RCA, several of which have never been released. These include Macuto, Por esta adoracion, El trago, Gallo y gallina and Cha Cha Cha navideño among others.
During 1958 and 1959 there was one change and one addition to the Orquesta Aragon: Pedro Depestre replaced his father, Filiberto, on violin and in January 1959 Rafael Bacallao was added as a singer. Now the Aragon had three voices, and a unique sound. Bacallao also was a dancer and his dances during their shows always garnered attention and public acclaim. Also in 1959 the Orquesta Aragon issued the first of eight LPs with their new line up on the Discuba label.
Alejandro Tómas Valdés was a Cellist who joined the band in the 1960s and was also a great Dancer of his own right with him creating the onda-cha as a dance which included Brazil’s Capoera, when the music that he also created was to feature heavy Afro Percussion with the traditional sounds of Cha-cha-cha.
In 1982 Richard Egües
became leader on the death of Rafael Lay Apesteguía until 1984, when Rafael Lay Bravo took over. Under the younger Lay the Orquesta has established itself as a true institution of insperation for other Orquestas in dealing with Cuban and Afro Cuban musical styles. During the revolutionary period, Aragón has travelled to give performances in over thirty countries.
Charanga
Charanga is a term given to traditional ensembles of Cuban dance music. They made Cuban dance music popular in the 1940s and their music consisted of heavily son-influenced material, performed on European instruments such as violin and flute by a Charanga orchestra....
in Cuba during 1950s and 60s. Their trade-marks included high-class instrumentalists playing in tight ensemble style, and rhythmical innovations which kept their sound up to date. Over the years they progressed from their start as a danzoneria to play a wider variety of styles, danzón
Danzón
Danzón is the official dance of Cuba. It is also an active musical form in Mexico and is still beloved in Puerto Rico where Verdeluz, a modern danzón by Puerto Rican composer Antonio Cabán Vale is considered the unofficial national anthem...
, then cha-cha-cha, then onda-cha, pachanga
Pachanga
- Music :In Cuba in 1955, Los Papines fused the violin-based music of charangas and the trumpet-based music of conjuntos Eduardo Davidson's La Pachanga , recorded by Orquesta Sublime, introduced Cuba to a Colombian dance...
and son
Son (music)
The Son cubano is a style of music that originated in Cuba and gained worldwide popularity in the 1930s. Son combines the structure and elements of Spanish canción and the Spanish guitar with African rhythms and percussion instruments of Bantu and Arará origin...
fusions. They still perform today, based in Havana.
History
Originally there were eight musicians: Orestes Aragon (double bassDouble bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
); Filiberto Depestre (first violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
); Hilario René González (second violin); Rufino Roque (piano); Efraín Loyola (flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
); Orestes Varona (timbales
Timbales
Timbales are shallow single-headed drums with metal casing, invented in Cuba. They are shallower in shape than single-headed tom-toms, and usually much higher tuned...
); Noelio Morejon (güiro
Güiro
The güiro is a Latin-American percussion instrument consisting of an open-ended, hollow gourd with parallel notches cut in one side. It is played by rubbing a stick or tines along the notches to produce a ratchet-like sound. The güiro is commonly used in Latin-American music, and plays a key role...
); & Pablo Romay (vocals). With the illness of Aragón in 1948, Rafael Lay Apesteguía became leader, and the band entered its second phase.
In 1950 the orchestra made its first journey to Havana, and in 1953 Lay changed the personnel to suit his own ideas. It was around this time that the danzón began to fade, and the cha-cha-cha to gain popularity. Flautist
Flautist
A flautist or flutist is a musician who plays an instrument in the flute family. See List of flautists.The choice of "flautist" versus "flutist" is the source of dispute among players of the instrument...
was now Rolando Lozano and, later, Richard Egües. Pepe Olmo began singing along with the director Rafael Lay. Pepe Palma was also to join the orquesta and be its Piano Player for decades onwards. The emergence of Richard Egües on the 5-key wooden flute was significant. Egües replaced Rolando Lozano at the beginning of 1954 when Lozano went to Mexico. In August 1955, Celso Valdés was added on violin and thus the first classic lineup of the Orquesta Aragon was in place. The line up at this time was Pepe Olmo and Rafael Lay (vocals), Lay, Filiberto Depestre and Celso Valdés (violins), Pepe Palma (piano), Jose Beltran (d. bass), Panchito Arbolaez (güiro), Orestes Varona (timbales) and Guido Sarria (conga). Both Lay and Egües were skilled arrangers and composers. Between 1955 and 1958 the Orquesta Aragon released four LPs for RCA, listed below. During this time the Orquesta Aragon recorded nearly one hundred numbers for RCA, several of which have never been released. These include Macuto, Por esta adoracion, El trago, Gallo y gallina and Cha Cha Cha navideño among others.
During 1958 and 1959 there was one change and one addition to the Orquesta Aragon: Pedro Depestre replaced his father, Filiberto, on violin and in January 1959 Rafael Bacallao was added as a singer. Now the Aragon had three voices, and a unique sound. Bacallao also was a dancer and his dances during their shows always garnered attention and public acclaim. Also in 1959 the Orquesta Aragon issued the first of eight LPs with their new line up on the Discuba label.
Alejandro Tómas Valdés was a Cellist who joined the band in the 1960s and was also a great Dancer of his own right with him creating the onda-cha as a dance which included Brazil’s Capoera, when the music that he also created was to feature heavy Afro Percussion with the traditional sounds of Cha-cha-cha.
In 1982 Richard Egües
Richard Egües
Richard Egües nicknamed "la flauta magica" , was a Cuban flautist and musician, on of the country's most famous artists. Egües was a member of the Orquesta Aragón band which he joined in 1953...
became leader on the death of Rafael Lay Apesteguía until 1984, when Rafael Lay Bravo took over. Under the younger Lay the Orquesta has established itself as a true institution of insperation for other Orquestas in dealing with Cuban and Afro Cuban musical styles. During the revolutionary period, Aragón has travelled to give performances in over thirty countries.
Discography
- Danzones de Ayer y de Hoy Discuba DCD 515
- Me Voy para la Luna Discuba DCD 520
- Danzones de Ayer y de Hoy Vol 2 Discuba DCD 532
- Cha Cha Cha RCA LP 1130
- That Cuban Cha Cha Cha RCA LP 1294
- The Heart of Havana RCA LP 1468
- Cojale el Gusto a Cuba. Discuba DCD 502
- Charangas y Pachangas Discuba DCD 555
- Ja Ja Ja Pacha Discuba DCD 557
- Maracas, bongo y congas RCA LP 1609
- Ultimos exitos de la Orquesta Aragón Discuba DCD 565
- Mosaicos tropicales Discuba DCD 576
- 1978: Ritmo Cha-onda (Barbaro)
- 1992: La Cubanisima Orquesta Aragon (Egrem)
- 1997: Quien sabe, sabe (Egrem)
- 1999: La Charanga Eterna (Egrem)
- 2001: En Route (Egrem)
- 2002: Por Siempre Aragon (Egrem)
- 2009: The Lusafrica Years Lusafrica