MIGUELITO VALDES - Guaguancoa

With yet another first-time post on YouTube, the Metro Mambo Collection is glad to share this rare 1949 recording by Miguelito Valdes and his Orchestra of the instrumental mambo "GUAGUANCOA", an early composition by Tito Puente.

Born Sept. 6, 1912 in Havana, Cuba, Valdés was regarded as one of the greatest soneros and guaracheros of his time, noted for his stirring interpretation of Afro-Cuban lyrics. He honed his craft in Cuba performing with the likes of Sexteto Habanero Infantil, Orquesta Hermanos Castro, and was a founding member of the legendary Orquesta Casino De La Playa. Soaring to renown in 1939 for his stirring rendition of the tune, Valdes became known as "Mr. Babalu". After emigrating to New York in 1940, the icon's fame continued to rise through performances and recordings with the likes of Orquesta Siboney de Alberto Iznaga, Xavier Cugat, Noro Morales, and Machito. By the mid-1940's, Miguelito Valdes was among the biggest names in Latin music.

That said, this particular recording illustrates that in the late 1940's and early 1950's, Valdes' band could swing with the best of them. In addition to the young and innovative Tito Puente, Valdes availed himself of such arrangers as Rene Hernandez (pianist and arranger for the Machito Orchestra), and saxophonist John Bartee (who arranged for the likes of Artie Shaw and Cab Calloway and composed "No Noise" for Machito's orch.). While we are not certain of the individual artists on this gig, the personnel for recordings by Valdes' orchestra made just a few months earlier on SMC included such musicians as: Frank West, Charlie Motta, Gene Brown (trumpets); Jerry Sanfino, Sam Rabinowich, Ruben Leon, Art Siegel, Jack Schwartz (saxophones); Eddie Cano or Rene Hernandez (piano); Modesto Calderon (cowbell); Larry Rivera (timbales); Luis Miranda (conga); Ray Romero (bongo).

As with most uploads of the Metro Mambo Collection", this marks this recordings first appearance on YouTube. Check out the other rare posts drawn from the 18,000+ record collection of Jim Byers - since 1996, host of "The Latin Flavor Classic Edition", showcasing Palladium-era mambo and Latin-jazz , live-streaming on www.WPFWFM.ORG on Sundays, 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. EST

Видео MIGUELITO VALDES - Guaguancoa канала Metro Mambo