Benny Moré in Santiago de Cuba
August 24th would have marked the 95th birthday of an extraordinary man, an incredible musician, “El Bárbaro del Ritmo (The Greatest of the Rhythm)”. Bartolomé Maximiliano Moré Gutiérrez was born at his beloved Santa Isabel de las Lajas, Cienfuegos, but his charisma made the whole Cuba love him. His voice is still recalled and admired in Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Brazil and Puerto Rico.
My grandmother always says that she met him in Palma Soriano municipality, at a night club known as “La Terraza”, right in front of Céspedes Park. El Bárbaro was coming back from a performance in Bayamo and entered the club with his friends to have some drinks. As soon as he saw the beautiful hair and polka-dot dress of Margarita, my grandmother, Benny asked her to dance, as he counted on his striking appearance. Benny was astonished as that gorgeous lady rejected the invitation because she wasn’t used to dancing with strangers.
The Excelencias Group proposes you to learn more about Benny and his relation with Santiago de Cuba by means of the memories and research of journalist Miguel Gainza, published on Sierra Maestra weekly newspaper.
Elio Gil Fernández, who lives in Carretera del Morro, is a photographer and has devoted part of his life to collect passages of Benny’s presence in Santiago de Cuba 1950 - 1962.
Testimonies of Miguel Villalón Castillo – known as Maraca – assert that before he had his band, Benny used to visit a bar owned by Ñico Virgilí, located in Trocha and Calle 4, Mariana de la Torre neighborhood, and spend some time with his friends, always with his kind, affable and humble character. Trocha and Santa Úrsula were among the areas included in his visits.
In 1951, Benny was hired by Mariano Mercerón to sing with his orchestra on Cadena Oriental de Radio broadcasting station, as part of a show entitled “Fiesta con Bacardí”.
Maraca says that Benny performed with Olga Guillot and Fernando Albuerne, as a trio, at Teatro Oriente. The show was named “Cuba Canta”, and they were accompanied by piano.
Elio Gil recalls that Moré was with his Banda Gigante at the Eastern University in February 1959, along with Santiago’s Los Taínos orchestra, headed by Daniel Guzmán.
Gil points out that Benny also performed at Céspedes Park in 1960, accompanied by Los Taínos, and participated, in 1961, in different areas of the Carnival and Papel y Tinta show, sponsored by Culture and the Graphic Arts Company. Elio underlines that Benny didn’t miss a carnival in Santiago de Cuba from 1959 to 1962. His last performance in this hospitable city took place in 1962 because on February 19, 1963, nearly six months later, the so-called Bárbaro del Ritmo passed away.
