Los Autenticos de Cuba

It was my first trip to Cuba. I had so many ambitions and dreams but I never thought that I could manage to have a recording with fantastic Cuban musicians.
I finished bongo lesson and eating cajita (Cuban take away meal) on the street of Central Havana. There were kids playing baseball, skinny dogs wondering around and 50 years old Ford passing loudly with big black smoke. And there was a guy who was holding guitar and eating same cajita. So I spoke to him to play 'Dos Gardenias' together. We got on well straight away and went to play in the bar. It was 3pm in the afternoon but who cares in Cuba. They love music. They stopped working and started dancing and singing to our music. That guy was 'El Abuelo'. Since then we played every single day on the street of Havana. Such song as Guantanamera, El Cuarto de Tula, Chan chan, bolero, son, merengue, chachacha and more. But after a week, we lost in touch. I was looking for him everywhere but I never could find him...
After a month travelling Matanzas and Santiago de Cuba, I came back to Havana again. When I was walking Malecon (seaside avenue), I saw the musicians playing on the street. And I found El Abuelo was there. Apparently his mother was ill so he was back home in Pinar del Rio. I joined to play bongo with them right away. And he introduced me to other musicians. They were Reinaldo and Alberto. Reinaldo is not only amazing maracas player but also wonderful singer. His voice is extraordinary bluesy, soulful, emotional and passionate. Alberto is fantastic guitarist and the music director of the band called 'Cuba Autentica'. But the band has got fallen apart for some reasons... So we decided to put the new group together. That was the 'Los Autenticos'.
After a few days playing together, we started to have recordings with my portable digital recorder (BOSS MICRO BR) and result is the sample music here on myspace. It was recorded in Reinaldo's house in Central Havana on Feb 2008. Viva Cuba! text by Koichi Sakai (bongo player/producer)
Biography of Reinaldo López Padrón, “Rey Maracas”
I became an artist at the age of 10. Then I was a member of a trio called “Los Tres Brillantes”, formed by two of my brothers and I. They played guitar and clave and I played maracas. In 1958 we played in “guaguas” and bars in order to economically support our parents. In 1959 we met an actor called Germán Pineli de Cuba, who approached us, talked to our parents I took as to a Cuban radio that still works called Radio Progreso. There we recorded songs. He liked the trio and took as to the television and we started working with Guillermo Alvarez Guede. We worked in a television program called “Cabaret de la alegría” and people always liked me as a comedian maraca player. In those days we were underage. In the “malecón” of La Habana we also sang with Benny Moré, Rolando la Serie and El Niño Rivera who said we were very good musicians although we never studied music because we didn’t have the chance to do it. After the triumph of the revolution, we met Luis Mendoza, director of the Benny Moré company. In 1962 we had an artistic audition and we were given the A5 with a second artistic level. We have done shows in cultural centers, cabarets, etc. In 1995 we met a French man while playing at the restaurant “El Patio” in La Habana Vieja. This man, called Christian Mounier, liked our music. Back then we were a different tipe of trio since we had a bongo player. Mr Mounier invited us to France. We went to Paris and we had the opportunity to meet Alain Delon and Colombo, two famous artists. Later we traveled to a French colony called “La isla de la Reunión”. There we worked with the actor Colombo in a car fair for a month. After that we worked at the hotel “Le Havaneur” in Saint Denis, Saint Paul, Saint Pierre and Mauritius Islands for three month. We returned to Cuba and we worked for Adolfo Guzmán company, in “trova” houses, cultural centers and cabarets.
Biografía de Reinaldo López Padrón, “Rey Maracas”
A la edad de 10 años comencé mi carrera artística. Formé parte de un trío que se llamaba “Los tres brillantes”, compuesto por dos hermanos míos y yo. Uno tocaba guitarra, otro las claves y yo las maracas. En el año 1958 tocábamos en las guaguas, bares, para mantener a mis padres. En 1959 conocimos a un actor llamado Germán Pineli de Cuba, el cual se acercó a nosotros, habló con mis padres y nos llevó a Radio Progreso (una emisora cubana que aún existe) para grabar, y el trío le gustó. De ahí nos llevó a la televisión y empezamos a trabajar con Guillermo Alvarez Guede. Trabajamos en un programa de televisión que se llamaba “Cabaret de la Alegría”, y yo siempre como maraquero comediante le caía muy bien al público. Para ese tiempo, éramos menores de edad. También, en el malecón de La Habana cantamos con Benny Moré, Rolando La Serie, El Niño Rivera, el cual dijo que éramos muy buenos músicos. Nunca estudiamos la música porque no nos dieron la oportunidad. Después del triunfo de la revolución, conocimos un director de la Empresa Benny Moré, llamado Luis Mendoza. En 1962, nos hicieron un audición artística y nos dieron el A5 con segundo nivel artístico. Hemos hecho esctáculos en casas de cutura, cabarets, etc. En 1995 conocimos a un frencés mientras trabajábamos en el resturante “El Patio”, en La Habana Vieja. A francés llamado Christian Mounier le gustó mucho nuestra música. Para aquel tiempo éramos un trío diferente, pues contábamos con un bongosero. Nos invitó a Francia. Allí estuvimos en París y conocimos dos artistas famosos Alain Delon y Colombo. Luedo, viajamos a una colonia francesa llamada “La Isla de la Reunión”. Allí trabajamos con el actor Colombo en una feria de autos durante un mes. Más tarde fuios a trabajar con Christian Mounier al hotel “Le Havaneur” en Saint Denis, Saint Paul, Saint Pierre e Isla Mauricio por unos tres meses. Regresamos a Cuba y hemos hecho actividades con la empresa Adolfo Guzmán, en las casas de trova, casas de cultura y cabarets.
Biography of Alberto López Padrón
I started playing as an amateur musician at the age of ten. I worked in a radio program called “Amanecer Cubano” for six month. After that I worked in “El Cochinito” restaurant with “El trio del cojo Kaisé”. Later I worked in the cabaret “El Atlántico”, in the east beaches with Meme Solís for eight months. A short time after that I worked with the “Siboney” group in a national tour around Cuba. Later I worked with the “Tropicuba” group, with Raúl Planas for seven years. After playing with that group I went through an audition and I was given second artistic level. Later I worked in Varadero with the “Baria” group and Pedro Sánchez for four years. I later worked as a solo guitar player already with a first artistic level with the singer Gina León in many hotels in Cuba for seven years. We also did national tours. When I finished playing with Gina León, I started accompanying Elsita Rivero at the hotel Habana Libre, and on weekends accompanying Cayo Largo del Sur for two years. Later I played with Leonora Rega at the hotel Capri for a year and a half. After that I worked with Francis Llanes at the restaurant “La Victoria”, Habana Vieja. Later I worked with the trio “Maracas” at the restaurant “El Patio” where we met a French entrepreneur called Christian Mounier , who invited us to France, to “Isla de la Reunión” where we made contact with different French entrepreneurs . We stayed at hotel “Bourbon” and worked in “Le Havaneur” restaurant. There we worked in Saint Denis, Saint Paul, Saint Pierre and Mauritius islands. We came back to Cuba in December 1996. However, my first trip was to the Canary Islands in 1994, and the third one was to France with the “Francuba” trio where I worked in Carcasone, Toulouse, Pirineu and many towns for three months. Now I’m a retired professional musician of the Aldolfo Guzmán company.
Biografía de Alberto López Padrón
Comencé como aficionado en la música a los 10 años. Empecé a trabajar en un programa de radio llamado “Amanecer Cubano” por un período de seis meses. Terminado allí, trabajé en el resturante “El cochinito” con el trío del cojo Kaisé, el dela media naranja. Después trabajé en el cabaret “El Atlántico”, ubicado en playas del este con Meme Solís durante 8 meses. Poco tiempo después trabajé con el conjunto “Siboney” haciendo una gira nacional, por toda Cuba. Después, trabajé con el Conjunto “Tropicuba”, con Raúl Planas, durante siete años. Después de ese grupo, me hicieron una audición y me otorgaron segundo nivel artístico. Luego trabajé en Varadero con el grupo Baria y con Pedro Sánchez por un periodo de cuatro años. Después pasé a desempeñar la función de guitarrista solista, ya con un primer nivel artístico, con la cantante Gina León en muchos hoteles de Cuba, por un periodo de siete años, y también hice junto a ella giras nacionales. Terminando con Gina León, empecé a acompañar a Elsita Rivero en el hotel Habana Libre y los fines de semana a Cayo Largo del Sur, durante dos años. Luego, acompañé a Leonora Rega en el hotel Capri por un año y medio. Después trabajé con Francis Llanes en el restaurante “La Victoria”, Habana Vieja. Acto seguido empecé a trabajar con un trío , el trío “Maracas”, en el restaurante “El Patio”, donde conocimos a un empresario francés llamado Christian Mounier, el cual nos invitó a Francia a la Isla de la Reunión, donde hicimos contacto con varios empresarios franceses. Estuvimos alojados en el hotel “Bourbon” y trabajamos en un restaurante llamado “Le Havaneur”. Allí trabajamos en Saint Denis, Saint Paul, Saint Pierre e Isla Mauricio. Regresamos a Cuba en diciembre de 1996. Sin embargo,mi primer viaje fue a las islas Canarias en 1994, y el tercer viaje , fue a Francia con el trío “Francuba”, donde trabajé en Carcasone, Toulouse, Pirineu y en muchos pueblecitos de Francia por el término de tres meses. Ahora soy músico profesional jubilado de la Empresa Adolfo Guzmán.
Biography of Diosdado Esquivel Díaz, 'El Abuelo'
I started my life as an artist at the age of seven when I took part in national and provincial events from 1976 to 1980. In this period I had great success with music. Later on I studied in a music school. In 1989 I was part of a tour with the navy music group around Cuba and Angola. In 1984 I worked in Pinar del Río in a group called “Vallesón” and latter with Aldo del Río” quartet. In 1995 I arrived to La Habana and worked with the “Tropical” group a tourist resort called “La Mina”, from La Habana Vieja. Latter on I worked and was the founder of the sextet “Megasón”, and with them I did a tour around France and Spain. After that I came back to Cuba y worked with the quintet “Los Galanes” in the tourist resort “La Mina” for the company “Adolfo Guzmán” and did a tour with them around Costa Rica and Jamaica, where we were very successful. Later I traveled to Norwich and there I worked in Oslo with a company called “Riconcerte”, in a project called “Fiesta Cubana”.
Biografía de Diosdado Esquivel Díaz, 'El Abuelo'
Yo comencé mi vida artística a los siete años donde participé en eventos provinciales, nacionales, desde 1976 hasta 1980, teniendo destacados resultados en la manifestación de la música. Más tarde estudié en la Escuela de Música. En 1989 participé en una gira con un grupo musical de la marina de guerra, por toda Cuba y en la República de Angola. En 1984 trabajé en Pinar del Río en un grupo llamado “Vallesón” y después con el cuarteto “Aldo del Río”. En 1995, vine hacia La Habana donde trabajé con el grupo “Tropical” en el complejo turístico “La Mina”, de la Habana Vieja. Más tarde, trabajé y fui fundador del sexteto “Megasón”, donde tuve una gira por Francia y España. Más tarde regresé a Cuba y trabajé con el quinteto “Los Galanes” en el complejo turístico “La Mina” por la empresa “Adolfo Guzmán” e hice una gira con ellos por Costa Rica y Jamaica donde tuvimos muy buenos resultados. Más tarde, viajé a Noruega donde trabajé con una compañía que se llama “Riconcerte” en Oslo en un proyecto que se llama “Fiesta Cubana”.
Biography of Menelao Cabezas Herrera
He studied in the “Conservatorio de Música Ignacio Cervantes” subjects such as Cuban percussion, theory and history of music, harmony, etc. Menelao worked as a percussionist in different groups interpreting a variety of Latin rhythms: cha-cha-cha, boleros, son, danzón, cumbia, merengue and plenty more. He has worked for over 30 years in clubs, cabarets, dance clubs, radio and television in Cuba and other countries. Nowadays Menelao plays the drums in the dance company of the renowned international dancer Tony Menendez and in other groups of excellent quality such as Cuba Auténtica.
Biografía de Menelao Cabezas Herrera
Cursó estudios en el Conservatorio de Música Ignacio Cervantes de materias como: solfeo y teoría, percusión cubana, armonía, historia de la música, etc. Ha desempeñado trabajos como percusionista en agrupaciones de grandes y pequeños formatos, con las cuales ha interpretado géneros latinos de distintos tipos como: cha-cha-cha, boleros, son, danzón, cumbias, merengues y muchos más. Con más de treinta años de experiencia ha trabajado en clubs, cabarets, pistas bailables, radio y televisión tanto en Cuba como en otros países. En la actualidad se desempeña como batería de la compañía danzaria del reconocido bailarín internacional Tony Menendez así como con agrupaciones de pequeño formato como Cuba Auténtica la cual posee excelente calidad.