Benny More and the Cuban Bolero

Latin Beat Magazine, March, 2002 by César Pagano

Benny Moré, without a doubt, must be regarded as the most comprehensive popular artist of all times (or at least of the 20th century) to be born in Cuba. This is illustrated by his musical works as an enlightened composer, his performance as a musical director (as an instinctive but amazingly prolific musical director, despite the lack of academic training) and his innovative function as interpreter of such dissimilar genres as son, guaracha, guajira changüí, canción, mambo, criolla, chachachá, batanga, guaguancó, afro, danzón and bolero. In addition to the abovementioned Cuban idioms, Moré interpreted various rhythms from other Caribbean nations--merengue, bomba, plena, tamborito, mazumba and porro.

It is difficult to find a historical parallel to the unfortunate nature of his demise, in terms of its premature timing (Benny Moré was only 43 years old when he died) and irreplaceable character, considering the fact that no one has been able to sing with equal capacity and surmount the difficulties to be encountered in his entire repertoire.

An even greater sense of admiration for his artistry can be generated by the way in which the refined elaboration of his own compositions transcended the limitations of his working-class background and the brief length of his formal education (which did not surpass the fourth grade of elementary schooling). His vocal influences were few but select: He enthusiastically admired Miguelito Cuní, and as a young troubadour, wandering through his streets of Havana, his vocation led him to the city's geographic epicenter or to the seaside venues, in order to listen to another paradigm of romantic expression called Panchito Riset.

Despite his masterful qualities, there is no evidence that Benny Moré ever studied with any vocal instructors. His resoundingly clear emission, exquisite and tender delivery, deliciously sharp phrasing, willful adjustments (in terms of potency and lightness), flirtatious remarks, and metrical whispers and exclamations (incremented through the passage of time) earned the admiration of his peers as well as the general public. Known for his versatile, refined and melodious voice, Moré not only demonstrated his command of the bolero genre, but also established an expressive style that would be inherited by such singers as Tito Contreras, Leo Castañeda, Julio César Fonseca, and in more recent times, Félix Baloy and Lázaro Miguel Rodríguez.

An all-around bolerista must have full command of intonation, precise and consistent inner rhythm, interpretative swing, and exigent taste to select the best material. Moré complied more than enough with the aforesaid requirements, and his privileged voice launched vibrantly splendid strokes. He positioned his sound in an irreproachable and gorgeous manner, founded on his exclusive and enchanting timbre, and propelled by a rhythmic approach as exact as the infinitesimal mathematics. All of these qualities marked the outbreak of his superior concepts and sentiments. He employed said noble conditions to project a magnetic atmosphere that combined his vocal and corporal interventions with his joyful and poetic spirit.

Based more on quality than quantity, the bolero idiom represented a notable chapter in the history of the singer known as El Bárbaro del Ritmo. Within 200 songs recorded by Benny Moré, one finds that almost a third (64 to be exact) were boleros. This eloquent figure documents the importance granted by the artist to the genre in question. Within the original number of original tunes recorded by Moré (30 in total), there are ten boleros, according to the discographic comments and statistical research conducted by our good friend, the Colombian music historian Sergio Santana.

There is a wide range of lyrical themes set forth in Benny Moré's boleros, despite the predominance of sorrow or melancholy, in comparison to those that demonstrated consummate happiness. Consider the following summarized sample of the range of passions and feelings that were nurtured by our musical protagonist...

Joyful boleros: Conocí la paz and Ahora soy tan feliz

Imploring boleros: Dime que si and Dolor y perdón

Disillusioned boleros: El bardo and Mi amor fugaz

Promising, soothing bolero: Amor sin fé

Threatening, machista bolero: No te atrevas

His first original bolero, according to the testimony provided by Miguelito Cuní and others, was El Bardo. This belief was probably generated because it happened to be the tune that he interpreted more often during the difficult early times of his career, when he earned a living as an adventurous troubadour, strolling through the bars, cabarets, circus tents and nocturnal serenades of Havana. Nevertheless, this erroneous belief has been rectified in recent years, with sufficient evidence, by Enrique "El Conde Negro" Benítez (cousin and original musical companion of the legendary sonero), who indicates that Moré's virgin composition was a bolero titled Dime que sí, whose lyrics are transcribed below, as sung by Benítez to the radio sage named Eduardo Rosillo.