Arsenio Rodríguez

Arsenio Rodríguez, one of the most important figures in the history of Cuban music, was a prolific composer (he penned close to 200 songs), tresero, percussionist, and bandleader whose innovations changed the face of Latin dance music and paved the way for what would eventually become known as salsa. He is considered the father of the conjunto, an instrumental format that was revolutionary for its time because it introduced the conga drum, which had previously been considered taboo because of its African origin. His compositions, many of which became standards of the Cuban and New York salsa repertoires, frequently emphasized Afro-Cuban, particularly Congolese, elements in their subject matter. A descendent of Congolese slaves, Rodríguez was born on August 30, 1911, in Guira de Macurije in Cuba's western province, Mantanzas. At age seven Rodríguez was blinded by a horse's kick; he would later become know as "El Ciego Maravilloso" (The Marvelous Blind One). As a child, he began playing a variety of instruments, including Afro-Cuban drums and percussion, bass, and tres, a Cuban six-string guitar that would become his primary instrument. Some important early influences on tres included Nene Malfugas, Isaac Oviedo, and Eliseo Silviera. He began composing in his teens and in the early '30s formed El Sexteto Boston. In 1937 he joined trumpeter José Interain's Septeto Bellamar. 1937 also saw the first recordings of Rodríguez's compositions; Miguelito Valdés sang "Bruca Manigua," "Ven Acá Tomas," and "Fuñfuñando" with Orquesta Casino de la Playa. During this period, the standard format for playing son was the septeto, consisting of trumpet, guitar, tres, bongos, bass, maracas, and claves, with two or more bandmembers singing. The general trend in the 1930s had been for the son...