Compay Segundo

Los Compadres were one of the most successful Cuban duos of their time. Greater international fame came later, in 1997, with the release of the

I have danzones, waltzes, sones. I have some beautiful danzones. Why? Because I've learned from those who know how to preserve the tradition of the music. I play music the way it was played in yesteryear. I started out playing the son corto (short son). As Miguel Matamoros used to say, "The son is short and sweet."... Back in the day, they'd start out playing son at seven in the evening, and they'd greet the dawn with it.^[3]

At a fiesta he sang to President

He predicted that he would live to be 115, but died of kidney failure in Havana, 20 years short of his ambition.

In 2007, the 100th anniversary of Segundo's birth was celebrated with a concert of his compositions performed by a symphony orchestra in Havana with some of his musicians and sons.^[4]

Discography

• 1942–55
  • Sentimiento guajiro
  • Cantando en el llano
  • Compay Segundo y Compay Primo
  • Mi son oriental
  • Los reyes del son
  • Los compadres
• 1956–95
  • Balcón de Santiago
  • Balcón de Santiago - Reedición
  • Saludo, Compay
• 1996–2015
  • Cien años de son
  • Son del monte
  • Yo Vengo Aquí (1996)
  • Buena Vista Social Club (World Circuit/Nonesuch Records,16 September 1997)
  • Antología (1997)
  • Lo mejor de la vida (1998)
  • Calle salud (1999)
  • Yo soy del norte
  • Grandes Éxitos (2000)
  • Antología (2001)
  • Las flores de la vida (2001)
  • Duets (2002) Anthology of Compay Segundo's duos
  • Buena Vista Social Club at Carnegie Hall (World Circuit/Nonesuch Records, 14 October 2008) (live album)
  • Lost and Found (World Circuit/Nonesuch Records, 23 March 2015^[5]) (collection of previously unreleased tracks)

References