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Singer of popular music.
Miguel Angel Conill, known as Miguelito Cuní, was born on May 8, 1917 in Pinar del Río, the most western province of Cuba. Since very young he was acquainted with the musical life of that province. During the 1920s and 1930s he sang in sextets and other typical groups of Cuban music, above all, the orchestras led by Niño Rivera, Jacobo Rubalcaba and Fernando Sánchez.
In 1938 he moved to Havana and joined first the Ernesto Muñiz group and then the "Arcaño y sus maravillas" orchestra. At that time, he met Arsenio Rodríguez (The wonderful blind man") and joined his ensemble with which he recorded a number of themes though, undoubtedly, "El guayo de Catalina" was the most popular one.
He then traveled to Panama to honor a contract where he remained for three years due to the frequent contracts he signed. In 1949, he returned to Cuba and rejoined the Arsenio Rodríguez Ensemble. When Arsenio decided to go to the United States with the purpose of recovering his vision and continue his artistic career, Félix Chappotín became the leader of the group which then was named after him in 1950. Together with the Chappotín Ensemble, Miguelito Cuní´s voice turned "El carbonero" and "Quimbombó que resbala" into outstanding hits.
Aside from singing with this Ensemble, he also carried out other performances: in 1956, he toured across Venezuela with Benny Moré and performed with Bebo Valdés, accompanied by the Novedades Orchestra, in many important radio stations in the country.
From 1959, Miguelito Cuní continued his intense musical work both in Cuba and abroad. Together with th Chappotín Ensemble he performed on the most important stages in the country and traveled to Netherlands Antilles, Curazao and the United States.
Bienvenido Julián Gutiérrez and Marcelino Guerra "Rapindey" composed the well-known bolero entitled "Convergencia" which, in Miguelito Cuní´s voice, reached the summit of interpretation quality and feeling. His version of this piece undoubtedly constitutes an anthological song.
During his life he received the highest honors awarded in Cuba to outstanding and remarkable personalities. On March 3, 1984, he passed away in Havana. He was also awarded the highest acknowledgement in his country: the tribute paid by new and old-time generations of Cuban musicians to this humble man who used to express that "The son belongs to the people... it comes from the grass-roots".
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