|
|
The background of Conjunto Casino was the "Miquito" sextet, founded in 1935 whose format included contrabass, guitar, piano, trumpet and two singers. Reportedly, this sextet was already unique, since it does not have the tres, but includes a trumpet, so it was closer to the septet sound, but incorporated a piano, thus becoming a rudimentary expression of future ensembles.
The "ensemble" format stemmed out as the logical evolution of the son septet, with the addition of a piano, a second trumpet and the presence of the tumbadora stressing the bass section both in the rhythm and as a support of the bongo. Among the most outstanding Cuban ensembles, historians usually mention a luxury trilogy: El Conjunto Casino, La Sonora Matancera and the Conjunto de Arsenio Rodríguez.
In 1937, after some changes in its membership, "Miquito" became the Casino Sextet, since this was its first opportunity to work at the Casino Nacional in the Playa de Marianao municipality, so this forced them to change the group´s name. At that time they were far from imagining the transcendence, not only of the change of name, but also of the historical career they had started. After a while, Roberto Espí joined the group as a singer, later on becoming its director.
As Casino Sextet, in April 1943, they recorded boleros and guarachas, a work that preserved the son background of sextets and septets. In the following recordings, toward the second half of that same year, they adopted the name of Conjunto Casino, already performing with this name on September 9, 1943.
The Conjunto Casino successfully performed in Mexico for almost a year, and some of its members stayed there to try their luck. Roberto Espí reorganized the group, and in 1946 it was made up by: Roberto Espí, Roberto Faz and Agustín Ribot, singers and harpsicords, maracas and guitar players, respectively; Cristóbal Dobal, contrabass player; Enrique Rodríguez, pianist, Guillermo Romero, bongo player and three trumpets played by Alberto Armenteros, Alejandro "El Negro" Vivar and Miguel Román. That same year the trumpets had not only an evident jazz sound, but in some cases, evident links with these gender classics. Already with this format they were closer to the essential characteristics of the ensemble; only the tumbadora was missing, which was introduced in 1949 by Carlos "Patato" Valdés.
During those days, there were some changes in the instrumentalists of the Conjunto Casino, but both the vocal and instrumental format remained intact, though singers like Daniel Santos, Carmen Dalia Dipiní, Alberto Beltrán and Juan Polanco also recorded with Casino.
That is how the Conjunto Casino reached its golden times, when the voices of Roberto Espí, Agustín Ribot and Roberto Faz introduced a softer and sweeter style, thus capturing the popular feeling. They not only performed sones, since the Conjunto showed a stylistic distinction specialized in boleros and, occasionally in guarachas. Some years later, such style was reinforced with the great bolero singer Orlando Vallejo. However, this did not mean a rupture with the popular taste who appreciated the different flavor of Conjunto Casino.
The hits, records, tours, radio and television programs, dances and, above all the names of those who performed in this ensemble, turned it into a true musical institution in Cuba. Besides those already mentioned, other great Cuban singers were also members of this group, namely, Nelo Sosa, Laíto Sureda, Fernando Álvarez, Alfredito Valdés, Orlando Morales, Onelio Pérez, Alberto Ruiz, Felo Martínez and many more.
For many years, the Casino was selected the best ensemble in Cuba and the work made by its arrangers, above all Niño Rivera, contributed with a popular sonority still followed by groups alike in the continent.
The so-called golden times ended perhaps between 1952 and 1953. But Conjunto Casino is still performing. In 1974, Roberto Espí, who was its director for more than 30 years, retired. Nevertheless, new generations of musicians in the Island are raising the banner of their great masters so as to perpetuate not only the emblematic name of Conjunto Casino, but one of the most prominent musical heritages of Cuban music.
Return to Top...
|
|