Genealogy of Latin bands

Latin Beat Magazine, May, 1997 by Frank M. Figueroa

The history of the development of musical groups in Latin American music can be compared to the cell development of organisms. A principle in biology established that all cells are derived from previously existing cells. Starting from single-celled animals and progressing in increments of one until the multiple-celled entity evolves.

In music, there was first the solo performer, the troubadour who sang to his own guitar accompaniment. He played music intended mostly for listening. This guitar-backed vocal music was largely derived from Spain. The early musical history of Argentina is full of payadores who were the original minstrels in its pampas. In nineteen century México there were many corrido and huapango singers performing throughout the century. Cuba also had its troubadours and a long list of singers of música guajira. The same can be said of Puerto Rico with its many singers of música jíbara and others who sang boleros and canciones.

In due time, the troubadour was joined by another singer who at times also played the guitar and the duet was born. The need for a lead guitarist who would play melody and embellish the tune with flourishes, required the addition of a third musician. We now have a trio playing music for listening and dancing.

For some special reason, the trio configuration has been one of the most popular in Latin music. Our music catalogues have always listed dozens of trios. The composition of the groups may vary. Some of the original trios included one guitarist and two singers. Later versions featured two guitarists and a lead singer joined by one of the guitarists singing two-part harmony. The lead singer also played the maracas. In more recent times the trios are usually composed of three guitarists who sing three-part harmony.

The island of Puerto Rico has produced more than its share of musical trios. Among them are the: Trío Aurora, Trío Borinquen, Trío Boricua, Trío Armónico, Trío Johnny Rodríguez, Trío Marcano, Trío Vegabajeño, Trío San Juan, Trío Galón, Trío Los Antares, Trío Los Hispanos, Trío Los Murcianos, Trío Quisqueya, and Trío Julito Rodríguez.

In Cuba we find the Trío Servando Díaz, Trío Oriental, Trío Machín, Trío Matamoros, and Trío Habana.

México has given us Los Tres Diamantes, Trío Calaveras, Los Bribones, Los Tres Ases, Trío Tariácuri, and Trío Los Panchos.

In a process of development parallel to the one described above, another organism was formed. In Europe, brass and wind instrument musicians who at first played alone, began organizing themselves into groups. The first bands were outdoor ensembles that originated during the Renaissance period. These groups consisted entirely of wind and percussion instruments. Because of their instrumentation, they became marching bands, brass bands, and eventually military bands. The military bands included fifes instead of flutes. The bass bands date from the 1830s when valves began to be used in brass instruments. As the name implies, no woodwind instruments were included in this ensemble. At the start of this process of development, serving as incubators for most of the musicians of the times we find the school bands. The band masters usually played several instruments and taught the young aspiring musicians how to play them. Music instruction began at an early age in the school bands. In almost every city and town the local school had a band that played on special occasions and parades. After graduation, the young musicians could join municipal bands where they played with adult musicians and continued their training. This tradition is still carried on today in our public and private schools. At the end of the process of band development we find the concert or symphonic bands. The concert band is the largest and it includes piccolos, flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, saxophones, cornets, trumpets, horns, trombones, tubas, and a large percussion section.

That rich musical tradition produced the musicians that provided the foundation for our modern Latin American bands. Brass and wind instruments were added to the basic tríos and they became quartets, quintets, sextets, septets, conjuntos (combos) and eventually full-fledged orchestras. This process gave us cuartetos such as: Cuarteto Caney, Cuarteto Flores, Cuarteto Manuel Jiménez, Cuarteto Machín, Cuarteto Marcano and the Cuarteto Mayarí. Some quintetos that come to mind are: Quinteto La Plata, Quinteto Tony Martínez, Quinteto de Celso Vega, and the Perla Marini Quintet. The list of sextetos can be a long one. We are going to mention only a few that eventually became septets such as: Sexteto Puerto Rico, Sexteto Habanero, and the Sexteto Nacional.

The conjuntos emerged as additional trumpets, percussion instruments and extra vocalists were added to the septets. Some of the most famous conjuntos in Cuba were: Conjunto Arsenio Rodríguez, Conjunto Típico Habanero, Conjunto Sonora Matancera, Conjunto Casino, Conjunto Kubavana, and Conjunto Modelo. In Puerto Rico we find the Conjunto Típico Ladí, Conjunto Siboney, Conjunto Taoné, and Conjunto Sonora Ponceña.