The remarkable smoky voice of Venezuelan-born sonero, composer and percussionist Tabaco (Carlos Quintana, 1943-1995) has been compared to Ismael Rivera. He joined Sexteto Juventud in 1963 following a recommendation from conguero Elio Pacheco to the leader and bassist Olinto Medina. (Pacheco was a founder member of Dimensión Latina and subsequently leader of La Magnifica and La Mafia Latina.) Tabaco initially played bongo with the group, then conga and later timbales. He went on to become their principal composer and lead vocalist recording in the region of 13 albums with the group between 1967 and 1973. At the suggestion of his friend, flautist, composer and arranger Naty (José Natividad Martínez), Tabaco formed his own sextet in 1975, debuting on the LAD label with El Sabor de Tabaco. Tabaco y su Sexteto made a further three albums in 1975 and 1976, including Mi Pueblo, Mi Burrito, Nostalgia (LAD, 1975) featuring the big hit "Mi Burrito", a quirky cumbia.

Tabaco dropped "Metales" to became Tabaco y su Orquesta for Cosa Linda (TH, 1983) and Homenaje a los Bravos! (TH, 1983), but resumed the title "Tabaco y sus Metales" for his 1984 TH finale El Timbalero produced, directed and arranged by Andy Duran. A live version of "Baranda" (from Homenaje a los Bravos!) was included in the double album Nicaragua ‘84 / Festival de Musica Popular Latinoamericana y del Caribe recorded in Managua in August 1984. His last offering, Tabaco y su Grupo Futuro, released on Velvet in 1988 featured the arranger Felix Suarez "Shakaito". Tabaco started recording an album with Naty in tribute to Ismael Rivera, but was unable to complete the project because he was hospitalized suffering from cancer. He died suddenly on May 30th, 1995. – John Child

Tabaco Discography

Puerto Rican-born Mon Rivera (1925-1978) was a pioneer of the trombone frontline in Latin music, some say he was the pioneer, whereas others maintain that Eddie Palmieri and Barry Rogers were the originators. But perhaps it’s their record producer at the time, Al Santiago (founder of Alegre Records), who deserves the credit. Whoever it was, the all-trombone sound influenced bandleaders like Willie Colón and others, and has been described as the symbol of urban salsa. Mon was known as "El Rey del Trabalengua" (The Tongue Twister King) because "his improvised quips would delight fans with his clear enunciation of rhymes and alliterations conjured up at bullet speed and perfectly weaved in the timing and circumstances of the music" (quote from Aurora Flores, 1978). Rivera was always closely associated with the plena and bomba forms of his island of birth. His father, Ramón Rivera Alers, wrote popular plenas. Mon began his professional career at the age of 16 and joined the band of William Manzano. He was also a professional baseball player and played with Los Indios in Mayagüez between 1943 and 1945.

Rivera’s 1975 collaboration with Willie Colón, There Goes The Neighborhood / Se Chavó El Vecindario (Vaya), helped connect him with the younger Latino audience. He arranged the hit track, the plena "Ya Llegó". An impressive line-up was congregated for the session, including Lewis Kahn and Jose Rodrigues, trombones; Papo Lucca, piano; Kako, timbales and conga; Rubén Blades and Héctor Lavoe, chorus. "Mon was not immortal and fell victim to the vices of life. But in his realization, he struggled and became free of the ‘monkey’ that sucked at his lifeline," wrote Aurora Flores, in that typically oblique manner found in accounts on Latin artists. He died, in his Manhattan residence on Sunday, March 12th, 1978, from a heart attack. The posthumously released Forever (Vaya), was produced by Johnny Pacheco. In addition to singing lead vocals and composing one track, Mon shared arranging chores with Colón and Ernie Agosto. – John Child

Mon Rivera Discography

Benny Moré and Generoso Jiménez

An outstanding singer, bandleader, composer, and arranger, the inimitable Benny Moré (1919-1963), nicknamed "El Barbaro del Ritmo" (The Barbarian of Rhythm), is still idolized and the subject of tributes half a century after his death. Author Miguel Barnet compared his voice to "a bamboo in the wind". He worked with various groups and trios before making a second attempt to strike it lucky in Havana in 1940. (His first effort to make it in the Cuban capital in 1936 was aborted after six months.) There he entered singing competitions (winning one), sang in a duo, joined Lázaro Cordero’s Sexteto Fígaro (with whom he made his radio debut), then Septeto Cauto (debuting with them on Radio Mil Diez in June 1944). He became first voice with Miguel Matamoros’ (1894-1971) eight-piece conjunto (formed in 1942) and journeyed with them to Mexico in June 1945. The collection Conjunto Matamoros with Benny Moré (Tumbao, 1992) includes eight tracks he recorded with them in Mexico in 1945.

Benny and Banda Gigante recorded and gigged prolifically, toured internationally and made TV and radio appearances. Benny Moré En Vivo (Discmedi, 1994) collects live ’50s and ’60s radio recordings broadcast on Cuba’s Radio Progreso and CMQ. The 4-CD box set Benny Moré y su Banda Gigante: Grabaciones Completas 1953-1960 (Tumbao, 2003) is a comprehensive anthology of Benny’s Banda Gigante recordings for RCA Victor. He remained in Cuba after the 1959 revolution. Notorious for his heavy drinking, he died from cirrhosis of the liver at age 44. A tradition of tributes exists, for example, Tito Puente’s three volumes of Homenaje A Benny (Tico, 1978, 1979 and 1985), three volumes of Charanga De La 4’s Recuerda a Benny Moré (SAR, 1981-3), the hit trilogy on Oscar D’León’s Autentico (TH-Rodven, 1991) and To "El Barabaro Del Ritmo" Live Vol. 1 (Regu Records, 2003) by the Tropicana All Stars. – John Child

Benny Moré Discography